April 29, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
One lucky songwriter/composer will win the break of a lifetime when he or she is selected to make “The Conti Connection” and fly to Los Angeles to spend a day shadowing Oscar-winning film and television composer Bill Conti. “The Conti Connection” is an Oregon Symphony competition for aspiring songwriters and composers; entries must be submitted in score or audio format by Noon on Monday, May 10.
The winner of “The Conti Connection” will be announced during a public event in the Rose Garden’s Rose Room on Wednesday, May 12 at 1 p.m. A local panel of judges including Laureate Associate Conductor Norman Leyden, noted Oregon composer Kevin Walczyk and violinist/composer Aaron Meyer will select 10 finalists based on musical integrity and marketability; Conti will select the winner based on his or her potential for success in the Hollywood arena. Conti, one of Hollywood’s most prolific composers whose credits span 30 years and multiple Oscar, Grammy and Emmy honors, is best-known for his “Rocky” and “James Bond (For Your Eyes Only)” scores and won the Oscar for his score for “The Right Stuff.” He also has composed countless television scores (“Dynasty,” “Falcon Crest”) and conducted the Academy Award telecast more than any other composer/conductor in history (12 times).
Conti will visit Portland to conduct the Symphony’s final Bank of America Pops concerts, “A Night at the Movies,” on May 22-24, 2004.
