Allan Zavod

Allan Zavod
Born (1945-10-16) 16 October 1945
Melbourne, Australia
Genres Jazz fusion, jazz
Occupation(s) Musician, actor
Instruments Piano, electric piano
Years active 1972–present
Associated acts Glenn Miller Orchestra, Cab Calloway, Maynard Ferguson, Woody Herman, Jean-Luc Ponty
Website www.allanzavod.com

Allan Zavod is an Australian pianist, composer, jazz musician and occasional conductor whose career has mainly been in America.[1]

Zavod completed a music degree from the Melbourne Conservatorium, University of Melbourne in 1969. His talent as a pianist was recognised by Duke Ellington, who arranged for him to study at the Berklee College of Music, Boston – where Zavod was later a professor of music.

In his career Zavod has collaborated with some well-known international musicians such as Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, George Benson, Eric Clapton, Jean-Luc Ponty and Frank Zappa, as well as Australian musicians James Morrison, Kate Ceberano and Judith Durham. He has performed for the Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales and several Heads of State.

Zavod was based in the US for 20 years, where he played, toured and recorded with some of the world's biggest names like the Glenn Miller Orchestra. When he wasn't on the road he scored more than 30 US and Australian films and TV shows.

Zavod was a pioneer in a compositional style that combines classical and jazz genres, where musicians from both worlds share the same concert platform equally.

Zavod's symphonic works have been performed by orchestras in Australia, Europe and the US.

As a film composer Zavod has scored over 30 films, including a movie with Eric Clapton.

He composed the Environmental Symphony for orchestra, narrator and synchronized visuals which was performed at the 2010 Banksia Environmental Awards and narrated by Sir Richard Branson.

The University of Melbourne awarded Zavod the Degree of Doctor of Music in recognition of his international achievements as a composer.[2]

Biography

Australian-born pianist-composer Allan Zavod was classically trained at University of Melbourne Conservatorium after being awarded the prestigious full Ormond scholarship. Married to author-artist Christine Zavod, he has one son, Zak. As a musician he has moved across genres from classical to rock-fusion. Today he is considered an Australian pioneer in the classical-jazz fusion genre, where he embraces a unique creative blend of improvised jazz and classical music.

In the late 1960s he was discovered by Duke Ellington, who arranged for him to further his jazz studies at famed Berklee College of Music, Boston, Massachusetts, US, where Allan later held a post as professor. He spent the following 30 years in the US performing, recording and touring the states and the world with many of America’s music greats, including Glenn Miller Orchestra, Woody Herman Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson big band, Cab Calloway, Billy Cobham, Gary Burton, Herbie Hancock, Jean-Luc Ponty and Frank Zappa. By the 1980s he was named by America's celebrated Downbeat Poll as one of the top 10 pianists in the US.

Throughout a distinguished career Zavod has performed before Her Majesty the Queen and years later H.R.H. Prince Charles and Princess Diana and recently H.R.H. Prince and Princess Norodom of Cambodia, heads of country and state, foreign dignitaries, government bodies, universities and charitable organizations in many countries.

During his long and eclectic career as performer, composer, music director, arranger, producer, conductor, he has appeared on American and Australian talk shows and music programs worldwide. A world tour with Frank Zappa has earned him 32 place in several current US internet Catalogues of ‘100 best keyboard / piano players of all time’ Described as a keyboard wizard, Zavod has toured Australia with Sting, toured and performed with George Benson, violin virtuoso Nigel Kennedy, trumpeter James Morrison, Vietnam's celebrated Tran Man at the Opera House Hanoi and in the 1970s performed a regular comedy routine at the L.A. Comedy Store with Robin Williams. He has accompanied Joe Cocker, Natalie Cole, and Topol, met with the Dalai Lama and performed a fundraiser. In Turkey, for Istanbul TRT Television, he performed the second movement of his piano concerto. Most rewarding have been solo, trio and orchestral performances of his much loved Gershwin in concerts in Europe, America, Asia and Australia.

As a film composer Zavod has written scores for over 40 films, documentaries, television and theatre, including a US movie with Eric Clapton, a film for Disney and the Theatre production of The Hobbit. For several years he was a judge of the Australian Film Industry Awards. Zavod has written large orchestral works for state orchestras in Europe, America, Asia and Australia, including:

As an educator, Zavod has given lectures, master classes and workshops at universities in America and Australia and to Aboriginal students in schools in Northern W. Australia. He devised and taught an elective in classical-jazz fusion at University of Melbourne. His Concerto for Trumpet, Jazz trio and Orchestra manuscript and CD was used by the Education Department of NSW in HSC Cariculum in all high schools in NSW. Australia.

Zavod wrote monthly music lessons for ‘Australian Musician’ Magazine for 15 years. As a pioneer in the classical–jazz fusion or 3rd stream genre. He has two student music awards in his name: The Zavod Classical-Jazz fusion Composers Award Administered by The University of Melbourne and The Zavod Classical-Jazz Performers Award administered by Monash University.

Zavod's awards include: The International Film and Television Award New York City: The Australian Writers and Directors Award: The WROC Australian Songwriter Award: The Australian Film Composers Award :Winner of the Asian Broadcasting Song Contest representing Australia (Soloist Kate Ceberano) Televised to eighty million viewers across Asia: Winner (1of 3) Worldwide composer competition for ‘Festival of Living Composers’ New Orleans, US.

In 2009 Zavod was awarded the Doctor of Music Degree by the University of Melbourne. Being one of only five recipients of an earned doctorate in composition over the history of the University, this higher doctorate is awarded to scholars who have “made an international contribution to music knowledge.”

Original compositions performed

Educator

International and national tours

Discography as primary and associate artist, and/or composer

Folio

1. Major new work:

2. Previously composed and recorded works:

a) Force D’Esprit (2006), score and live recording: 14’
b) Concerto for Jazz Trombone (2002), score and live recording: 25’
c) Concerto for Trumpet, Jazz Trio and Orchestra (1998), score and live recording: 24’
d) Concerto Australiana (1988), score and live recording (DVD): 20’

Discography Doctorate of Music : University of Melbourne

Allan Zavod Selected Works : Detailed Track and Performance Information : CD 1. Environmental Symphony, (the submitted major new work), is a symphony in 5 movements demonstrated on CD with synthesized orchestra and a demo narrative only.

CD 2. Allan Zavod (Previously composed and performed works)

Trk 1: Force D’Esprit (Power of the Spirit). 2006

Trk 2-4 : Concerto for Jazz Trombone. 2002

Trk 5-8 : Concerto for Trumpet, Jazz Trio and Orchestra. 1998

DVD. Concerto Australiana. 1988

Selected 20th-century work

References

  1. ↑ "Allan Zavod's Website". Allanzavod.com. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  2. ↑ "Dr Allan Hyam Zavod (OB 63)". Brightongrammar.vic.edu.au. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
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