Toronto Silent Film Festival

WILLIAM O'MEARA
Bill is well know in Toronto for his organ work as co-artistic director for the annual Organix concert Festival, and as cathedral organist at St. Michael's Cathedral. His busy freelance career as soloist, choral and silent film accompanist takes him to festivals and concert series throughout North and South America, Great Britain, and Europe for over 20 years. Silent film is a natural outlet for his creative improvisation on the keyboard. He has worked on hundreds of films here in Toronto for TIFF, Cinematheque, Nuit Blanche, and Toronto Film Society and is sought after performer at National Gallery, Pacific Cinematheque, and at the world's largest silent film festival, Le Giornate del Cinema Muto, in Pordenone, Italy.

LAURA SILBERBERG
Laura Silberberg is in the last year of her Masters degree in music composition at the University of Toronto. She has composed music in a variety of genres, including classical instrumental, chamber, choral and top 40/popular music. Laura also composed the music for a children's musical, "In Harmony", which has been published and performed in Canada and the United States. Laura's compositions and piano improvisation skills have been featured live on CBC Radio's Here and Now show three times, as well as on the Andy Barrie's Metro Morning Show.
Laura has performed her compositions across Canada, the United States and in Japan. The renowned Gryphon Trio and the Amadeus Choir have performed her work. She has also won the International Amadeus Songwriting Competition nine times. She has received several scholarships from the University of Toronto for academic and musical excellence, and most recently an Ontario Graduate Scholarship. Laura was honoured by Maclean's Magazine as one of 50 up and coming young Canadians under 30.

ANDREI STRELIAEV
Andrei Streliaev became interested in silent film music after taking a course at the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto, and since then has regularly accompanied silent films in Toronto, GTA and in Latvia. He has performed at Cinematheque Ontario screenings, Nuit Blanche Festival in Toronto, "Music Inspiration Landscape" and "Attractive Organ 220" Festivals in Riga, Latvia. In the meantime, Andrei is a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Toronto where his area of research is Organ music in Latvia.

RICHARD UNDERHILL & ASTROGROOVE
Richard Underhill's wonderful warm alto sound, great writing and arranging skills and in-from-the-outside soloing make him one of Canada's most distinctive jazz performers. Richard won a Juno Award in 2003 for his jazz solo debut 'Tales from the Blue Lounge' and was nominated for the Prix du Jazz at the Montreal Jazz Festival in the same year. The founding member of Toronto's acclaimed Shuffle Demons, he has toured Europe and Canada to critical acclaim for over 22 years. A truly original jazz composer and arranger, Richard's exciting original music captivates audiences with outstanding musicianship and engaging performances. All of his albums have become fan favourites and has garnered significant critical acclaim.
Richard has performed and recorded with The Neville Brothers/Meters, Han Bennink, Julius Hemphil, Dr. John, Kathleen Edwards, Taj Mahal, Maria Muldar, Rob McConnell, Molly Johnson, Blue Rodeo, Andy Stochansky, Hawksley Workman, The Sadies, Luke Doucet, Bobby Wiseman, Soul Rebels, the Mighty PoPo, Paul Cram, Kevin Breit, the Hemispheres Orchestra, NOMA and Toronto jazz stalwarts Reg Schwager, Jake Langley, Steve Koven, Ron Davis, Wayne Cass, Tyler Yareema, Tory Cassis, and George Koller. Much in demand as a session player and sideman, he has written arrangements for Kathleen Edwards, Molly Johnson, Andy Stochansky, Hawksley Workman, Blue Rodeo, Bobby Wiseman, Big Rude Jake and Lorraine Segato. He leads several diverse groups including his jazz quintet, the Funk Explosion and the improvising electronic groove ensemble Astrogroove. Astrogroove is "3 multi-intrumentalists who never lose sight of the GROOVE"

CLARK WILSON
A native of Ohio, Clark began his musical training at age nine. While growing up, he accompanied numerous stage musicals and was organist at several churches. He is now a noted concert organist in the United States, Canada, Australia and England, with extensive recordings to his name, Mr. Wilson is very well known for his silent film accompaniment. He has played for silent films in New York, UCLA in California, the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, and at LA's Walt Disney Hall in addition to making several recordings for film.
He is the resident organist and organ conservator at Ohio's Theatre in Columbus. In recent years Mr. Wilson has used his technical expertise in heading a professional crew restoring Chicago's Landmark Wurlitzer and is in high demand for his skills as a toner and finisher of theatre and classical organs both in North America and England. theatre and classical pipe organs both in North America and England. He has the distinguished honour of being the only recipient of the Technician of the Year and Organist of the Year by the American Organ Society.


piano key photo: Rob Bowman