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Barbara J. Weber- violinist/composer
Barbara J. Weber is the composer of the award winning indie feature entitled "Let Me Out" which won for "Best Psychological Drama" at the 2009 New York Independent International Film & Video Festival. This classically trained violinist began her foray into composing for film after winning 1st prize for her symphonic tone poem "Exodus" at the 2008 Bible Art show in Long Beach, NY. The piece, based upon the famous biblical scene where Moses leads the Jews out of exile from Egypt, was electronically composed on a Mac computer. It simulates a full orchestral sound complete with strings, brass, percussion and an array of sound effects depicting the parting of the Red Sea as well as other elements in the famous flight.
Barbara’s music now appears in two documentaries, "What Does It All Mean" and the soon to be released "Missing Peace", a short film, "Ironic Odyssey" and the award winning full feature, “Let Me Out”.
Fueled by a tremendous range of musical appreciation, the content of her music has been greatly influenced by a number of diverse musical styles and artists, from the complexities and textures of Prokofieff and Bach to the minimalism and ambiance of Jon Adams, Jon Michael Jarre, Andreas Vollenweider, and Brian Eno, to the tangos of Astor Piazzolla, the trance of Paul Van Dyke and the consonant harmonies and melodies of Stephen Sondheim.
Additional composition credits include a series of live performances of her "Iberian Rhapsody" a solo unaccompanied work for violin performed by violinist Neal Wackenheimer on several occasions in and around the Forest Hills, NY area and in Rhode Island.
Barbara grew up in Brooklyn, New York. She was introduced to the violin while in the New York City public school system. Quickly excelling in the instrument, she attended the High School of Performing Arts and The Juilliard School. She was a student of the esteemed violin pedagogues Christine Dethier and Ivan Galamian. Barbara also has an MFA in Theatre Management from Brooklyn College. Following an internship program, she was hired by Columbia Artists management, Inc. (CAMI). As a classical violinist, Barbara performed with various chamber ensembles and orchestras. She continues to embellish her training as a violinist and as a much sought after violin teacher. Barbara participated in the Starling-Delay Symposiums on Violin Studies which were given at the Juilliard School in 2007 and 2009. These symposiums are dedicated to the art of violin teaching and performance as fostered by the legacy of Dorothy Delay.
Sometime around 2005 her musical tastes started to expand which led her to explore jazz and other alternative musical styles.
On a whim, she decided to take a course at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. "This changed my life." she admits. "I discovered new finger languages, new chords, new harmonies that I just never heard before." Taking this interest a step further, Barbara started studying jazz violin with the truly amazing jazz violinist, bassist and cellist, Rob Thomas (www.ROBTHOMASVIOLIN.com). Rob is on the violin faculty at Berklee. "We met at the Berklee College of Music String Fling program. I was in awe of his playing. He simply hits all of the right tones at the right times whatever instrument he decides to pick up at the moment." The artistry of Rob Thomas also appears on the release of her CD, "The Penthouse Suite." While studying jazz and improvisation, Barbara re-discovered a long dormant love for composing. At a local jam session, something she never participated in as a classical violinist, Barbara met David E. Feldman (www.Vesselfilms.us). David is an experienced writer, director, producer and filmmaker who just happened to be shooting his first full feature film. "We instantly liked one another and so he simply asked me would I be interested in scoring the music for his film. Sure, I replied and that was the beginning of my composing career." Rob Thomas introduced Barbara to Uli Geissendoerfer (www.Ulimusic.com) Uli is an awesome pianist and an all around tremendous musician with a broad knowledge of composing, producing, arranging and mixing. "It was a music love at first hearing for me," Barbara admits. "The first time I met Uli, he went over to the piano and instantly rearranged one of my themes bringing tears to my eyes. I knew he was perfect for me." she smiles. Uli is now the Music Director of “Viva Elvis” the new “Cirque de Soleil – show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Uli also appears on "The Penthouse Suite' CD as a pianist as well as in many other capacities :producer, arranger, mixer. "He is a true inspiration to me." Barbara hopes to pursue her career as a composer for various mediums in addition to writing for film. Currently, she is working on an electronic piece for a modern dance troupe. Barbara is a member of ASCAP
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