Evan Whitfield

Description

My show is an incredible tour-de-force in piano showmanship. I perform my own contemporary stylings of the best in classical, Broadway, and British/American film music, as well as modern rock favorites of the 1980’s. I have one 45 minute show with 7-piece charts that I arranged myself.
My first show starts with a short Pirates of the Caribbean opener, then includes a Broadway Medley highlighting the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Marvin Hamlisch, a Movie Medley highlighting music of the famous film composers John Barry and John Williams, a 1980’s Rock Medley featuring the music of Bon ... Jovi, AC/DC and Journey, a Queen Medley featuring their best hits including Don’t Stop Me Now and Bohemian Rhapsody, and lastly a Classical Medley featuring the music of Mozart, Grieg, Liszt and Rachmaninoff.
My second show is primarily a solo classical piano concert, featuring the music of Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt, as well as my own Contemporary Classical piano compositions. Read More

Biography

Evan Blair was born in Canada, and later moved with his family to the United Stated of America. Evan studied piano at New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA in the late 90’s, and soon after worked as a music director for several collegiate and private Broadway productions in New England. He quickly moved into the cruise entertainment industry where he has worn many hats, including jazz trio pianist, intermissionist pianist, Queen’s Room Ballroom Dance bandleader, and many other positions for RCCL, Cunard, Carnival and Celebrity Cruise Lines. He performed his own piano entertainer ... show for Azamara Club Cruises during 2015. Read More

Reviews     (no reviews)

Experience

Music Directing/Performance Experience
Southern Utah University, Department of Theatre, Dance & Arts Administration August 2022 May 2023 , Cedar City, UT
Music Director, Accompanist accompanist for selected ballet dance classes; accompanist and vocal coach for undergraduate MT applied group voice classes; music director and pit conductor for departmental musical theatre productions of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Cabaret ; collaborated as dance accompanist with the Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT) for their resident guest artist workshop at SUU, March 29, 2023.
East Carolina Univ ... ersity, School of Theatre and Dance August 2016 May 2019, Greenville, NC
Accompanist ballet and modern dance accompanist for a diverse range of dance studios and guest artist workshops; instructional consultant for the dance and musical theater departments; vocal coach for undergraduate musical theatre and professional acting majors; assistant music director and pit orchestra conductor for departmental musical theatre productions of 1776 , Hands on a Hardbody , Young Frankenstein , Reefer Madness and The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
2018: Music Director for Purlie at Magnolia Arts Center, Greenville, NC - taught all music and coached community actors in specific vocal styles; recruited local musicians; conducted all performances
2017: Music Director for Young Frankenstein at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC - arranged music from score utilizing Finale software for music prep and practice; taught all music and coached undergraduate actors in specific vocal styles; conducted and directed final performances from the pit.
2016: Musical Director for Bye Bye Birdie at Babson College, MA - coached, rehearsed and worked with undergraduate student actors and singers on vocal production, speech and musical phrasing; recruited all orchestra personnel; directed final productions from piano in orchestra
2016: Musical Director for Avenue Q at The Company Theatre, MA - coached, rehearsed and worked with actors and singers on interpretation, vocal production, speech and musical phrasing; directed all rehearsals and conducted nine performances from piano in pit orchestra
2015-2016: Orchestra Pianist/Keyboardist for Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises, World, Oceans - Accompanied British, Canadian and American vocal and instrumental entertainers in nightly cabaret performances in main theatre; arranged pop charts for guest entertainers when needed; rehearsed and accompanied guest passenger choirs for one performance each cruise; provided accompaniment for church services, weddings and functions
2014-2015: Musical Director for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Broadway show Tell Me On A Sunday for Royal Caribbean International cruiselines - Was in charge of all rehearsals and conducted all performances whilst playing piano in the orchestra. The season ran from August to November. Pre-production duties involved rehearsing extensively with a singer from London's West End.
2013-2014: Musical Director for Carnival Cruise Lines, on the Carnival Paradise - directed a 5 piece showband ensemble that performed nightly shows in a theatre; supervised the administration and management of all shipboard musicians, including soloists, Philipino Top 40 bands, and all showband vocalists; was in charge of enforcing Carnival Safety protocols by assisting with passenger drills, crew safety drills, and safety management systems
2011-2012: Bandleader of the Queen's Room Orchestra, a latin and swing ballroom dance orchestra (7 piece) on Cunard's oceanliners Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, and the new Queen Elizabeth
2010-2011: Pianist/sideman in the Queen's Room Orchestra on Cunard's grand oceanliner the Queen Mary 2
2009-2010: Keyboardist for Princess Cruise Lines in the showband
2007-2009 : Sideman/jazz pianist for the Jeff Simons trio on Princess Cruise Lines
2006-2007 : Showband keyboardist/pianist for Princess Cruise Lines; played solo piano excerpts in main theatre
2005-06: Orchestra pianist for Cunard Cruise Lines; accompanied singers/entertainers on the Queen Mary 2
2003-05: Showband keyboardist and jazz pianist for Carnival Cruise Lines; played in Broadway-style shows
2003: Keyboardist for the Kelly Miller Circus, Hugo, OK; performed two shows daily on a national tour of the
United States; composed circus theme music
2001: Jazz pianist for two shows at The Knitting Factory, NY, NY; jazz pianist with own band for several shows at the Zeitgeist Gallery, Cambridge, MA, including a "Tribute to Ornette Coleman"
2000: Music Director/keyboardist for the University of Massachusetts Boston Division of TheatreArts Production
of Steven Schwartz's Working
1997: Music Director/keyboardist for Virginia Commonwealth University's TheatreArts production of A Three Penny Opera
1995-97: Ballet accompanist for Virginia Commonwealth University's Dance Department
Teaching Experience
2004: Adjunct faculty, Keene State College, Keene, NH
2004: Musical Theatre Coach and Piano Teacher, French Woods Performing Arts Festival, Hancock, NY
2001-2002: Upper School Music Teacher, Dublin Private Preparatory School, Dublin, NH
Read More

Previous Clients

Pieter Ijsselstein, a Canadian composer from Prince Edward Island, Canada, recently hired me to edit his compositions, which range from small piano rags, to string quartets, trios, and two-piano works. I have been working with him since September, 2020.

Suitable for

Casinos Christmas Party Cocktail Party / Drinks Reception Corporate Event Dinner Party Private Party Product Launch / Promotion Trade Show / Exhibitions

Physical Characteristics

Virtual Services Offer

Online Music Composition and Editing

Have an idea for tubular bells and string orchestra, but don't know where to start? I can work with any recorded or written creative work, and expand it to fit your instrumentation desires.

Have you already written your next Grammy award-winning composition, but are worried there might be some errors in the music? As a musician who's worked in the music industry for 20 + years, I have developed ears that are attuned to notice any "inconsistencies" that may exist. In other words, I'm an excellent music critic. I will offer suggestions to "fix" these flaws, and compose some examples, depending on the genre you are working in.

Samples of my music editing composition work are available upon request, thank you!

Online Music Copying, Transcription and Arranging, with online Finale Music Notation Software

Need a piece of music copied into a professional music editing software? No problem! I use Finale Notation software to transform your hand-written masterpiece into a professional looking masterpiece. Have Finale but need help using it? I'm here to help!

Have you recorded a hit song for voice and piano but don't know how to write the vocal melody or the chords for piano accompaniment? I can transcribe your original audio recording, and arrange your smash hit into a lead sheet that's easy to read by the band at the next rehearsal, as well as prepare it for song publication.

Samples of my music copying and arranging work are available upon request, thank you!

Virtual Piano Rehearsals and Piano Accompaniment

Are you a soloist and/or instrumentalist who requires piano accompaniment, and has the Covid-19 virus prevented you from rehearsing with a pianist? With the power of technology and a capable internet connection, virtual, live streaming piano rehearsals can be done, all in the privacy of your own space!

Are you a singer who needs a pianist to record accompaniment to your song? I'm the guy you need! I use the best VST piano sampling software to produce a world-class piano recording depending on what piano sounds you want, including a MIDI file that you can take to your next mix-down session.

Online Classical and Jazz Piano Lessons

I am offering personalized piano lessons to suit beginners to advanced pianists of all ages! I can teach all styles, from pop, rock, folk and world, to sophisticated genres such as contemporary classical, modern classical, trad-jazz, modern jazz, atonal music, avant-garde and more!

My professional knowledge comes from many years as a music director for musical theatre productions, a touring jazz pianist and recording artist, an international accompanist for professional entertainers, a ballet and modern dance accompanist, and several stints as a university music instructor. I also hold a Masters in Music degree from the legendary New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA.