Album Notes

With a catalog of over six hundred compositions, composer, pianist, and educator Scott Hiltzik has embraced a diversity of musical styles. Characterized by a post-modern classical sensitivity his works for symphony orchestra, chamber ensemble, solo piano, and voice incorporate jazz, world music, R & B, and musical theater influences.

His orchestral works have been performed by major orchestras internationally, including The Baltimore Symphony, The San Francisco, Detroit, Atlanta, New Jersey, Honolulu and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestras, The Buffalo Philharmonic, The Florida Orchestra and The Boston Pops. In 2005, his works were performed by The Aukland Symphony and The Wellington Sinfonia in New Zealand, and in Australia by The Melbourne, Queensland, and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras, as well as The Sydney Symphony at the Sydney Opera House. Five of his orchestral works were featured at Carnegie Hall in June, 2004 as part of the JVC Jazz Festival by The Brooklyn Philharmonic. His composition entitled Spirals, was commissioned by The Bay Brass of San Francisco who premiered this work in July, 2005. 2006 premieres included the Oregon and Edmonton Symphonies.


Hiltzik's jazz songs have been performed and recorded by many vocalists including Tierney Sutton and Miki Coltrane. His cinematic electronic work with Ted Greenwald is featured on Windham Hill's groundbreaking recording, Soul Of The Machine. He has created several musical plays with playwright Michael Cormier. Hiltzik's Celtic Nocturnes CD showcases his solo piano arrangements of the melodies of Celtic harper Turlough O'Carolan and has been hailed by the Brentwood News as "nothing short of incredible". His music has been featured on concert pianist Mona Golabek's syndicated classical radio show, The Romantic Hours. All the World Is Sleeping, Hiltzik's album of original lullabies for piano was released in 2000. Thoughts of Home, a Christmas collection performed with vocalist Helena Buscema and guitarist Greg Porée, was released in 2002. The 2004 Just Plain Folks Independent Music Awards nominated Thoughts Of Home for best holiday album and the title track for best holiday song. He performs in Los Angeles with his contemporary jazz quartet called House of Games, while teaching classical and jazz students piano and composition and authoring his series of books on piano pedagogy and jazz studies.

The piano has always held a special place in Hiltzik's work. His latest solo release, LAST DAY HOME, features selected piano works that are melodic, emotional and sophisticated reflecting life in its many shades.