Omar Lopez is not just a violinist.
He is an entertainer with a passion for the stage and a technique and showmanship rivaled only by artists the likes of Vanessa-Mae and David Garrett. Moreover, his powerful, enigmatic, and distinctive compositions have been compared to those of international new age superstar Yanni, and his signature electric violin tone is somewhat reminiscent of those of Noel Pointer and Jean-Luc Ponty.
Although Omar was classically-trained like his aforementioned contemporaries and is a self-taught improvisational virtuoso, it is unlikely that you will see him performing syrupy renditions of movie soundtrack themes or techno-infused versions of centuries-old classical masterpieces... and although he is from Texas, you will never hear him refer to his instrument as a "fiddle", and with good reason.
Omar's sound is distinctly his and his alone, drawing from a dark, morose, and almost Middle-Eastern influence at first, building into a sizzling Latin-jazz flair, and ultimately evoking a fiery, hard-rock vibe, all the while with a pitch perfect tone, fine-tuned over the course of more than two decades of playing the violin.
Furthermore, although he has never had a vocal lesson in his life, he has been singing for as long as he can remember, and his voice has developed over the years into a rich, full, and soulful tenor with a range like that of George Michael or Stevie Wonder, with an added Spanish-language suave similar to Enrique Iglesias and Luis Miguel.
Omar's professional career began in the 90's, when he was chosen to be the featured violinist for the Dreamsound Orchestra on their three-year world tour, after which he collaborated with DJ and electronica-trance composer Dan Johnson to create his first original composition, "Dawn". He then teamed up with studio producer and multi-instrumentalist Adam Whaley and his newly-formed live band to showcase a full set of his own pieces on his first studio album, entitled "Forever Red" (released in 2005).
In 2007, he and his innovative group of musicians and vocalists, known as "The Omar Lopez Experience", released their eponymous second album, a live recording which added several new pieces to their existing repertoire. The sound of an Omar Lopez concert was big, bold, and explosive from start to finish, and he opened for artists such as Jose Feliciano, Broadway legend Jennifer Holliday ("Dreamgirls"), and 80s rock icon Pat Benatar. He himself was named one of Austin's Top String Musicians for seven consecutive years in a row by the Austin Chronicle Readers' Music Poll, and was voted one of MySpace's Top Ten Classical Artists in Texas.
Omar's recently-released third album, "Mirrors and Memories" was a departure from his first two projects, as it marked the first time he acted as executive producer and arranger in the recording studio, working alongside singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mark Ford to create what has been hailed as his most melodic, electrifying, dynamic, and musically-diverse material to date.
This trend in Omar's production style continued with the Fall 2011 unveiling of his first-ever standalone iTunes single, "Phoenix", a powerful trance and 80s rock-inspired synth-pop anthem that signaled a change in direction from his typical "symphonic-rock" composition style into a more mainstream and edgy direction, while still retaining the elements of his melodic solo violin and his expressive vocals.
As of Fall 2011, Omar is now on tour with Emmy Award-winning rock-flamenco guitarist and composer BENISE (pronounced "buh-NES-see"), whose PBS specials "Nights of Fire" and "The Spanish Guitar" have been seen by millions of people all over the world. Feeling that he has only scratched the surface of possibilities, Omar is excited to see what the future brings as he continues to pursue his dream of eventually being able to share his own music with audiences across the globe. It is only a matter of time before that dream comes to fruition.
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