Bio

Kevin Bruce Weed

(714) 337-9874

[email protected]

https://kevinweed.com

I am a full-time musician, living and working in Orange County, California where I grew up in a musical family, starting piano and other instruments at an early age. I have been musical director for over 60 award-winning musical theater productions. Several of my students have gone on to careers in theater. 

I am currently collaborating with Alyssa Wills on “Joan,” an opera about Joan of Arc. In addition, we plan to create an oratorio suitable for a choir performance, and an art song cycle for solo singer with piano or chamber orchestra. 

Conductor/Music Director:

  • 1990-present Corona Del Mar High School accompanist and music director/conductor for musical theater.
  • 1986-2018 Newport Harbor HS. accompanist and music director/conductor for musical theater.
  • 2018-2020 St.Boniface Catholic Church choir director.
  • 2014-2017 Musical Director for Arts and Learning Conservatory.
  • Pianist/Conductor for a complete recording “Godspell” pit orchestra tracks for a touring production.
  • Conductor for full orchestra productions of The Titanic, May 2011, and Disney’s Beauty And The Beast, May 2013 at Calvary Christian School, Downey; Kristi Goodner, Director.
  • 2010 Self Realization Fellowship Christmas Choir.
  • 1998-2006 Assistant music director for Opera Pacific’s Opera Camp.
  • 1999-2007 Mystery Café/The Gourmet Detective, also composer and pianist.
  • 2001-2004 Our Lady Of Refuge Catholic Church Children’s Choir.
  • 2000-2002 Cor Marie Youth Choir.
  • Guest and substitute conductor for: the Madrigal choir at Corona Del Mar High School, Prelude String Orchestra, Garden Grove/Orange County Symphony, Orange County Catholic Chorale
  • 1998-2000 Associate conductor, Garden Grove Symphony.

 

Composer:

  • 14 Annual musicals and movies with the Da Vinci Academy at Newport Harbor High School
  • Old World Overture for the “All Beethoven” concert of The Orange County Catholic Chorale and Meistersingers, 2009
  • Rondo for Horn and Band for Pat Taylor and the Huntington Beach Concert Band
  • Mystery Café/The Gourmet Detective – Abracadaver, Nancy Hardy and the Riddle of the Sphinx, Death Under Cover
  • Harpsichord Concerto – for Corona Del Mar’s spring 2009 concert (Vivald’s Gloria)
  • Organ Concerto, and Antiphonal Sonata for Brass and Organ for a 2009 joint concert with Praise Symphony Orchestra, Our Lady of Refuge Church and OCAGO
  • Light Armour – 7 songs on the “light verse” of Richard Armour; for Judy Boland, Susan Junes and Sandy Bron, 2010
  • In 2008, Kevin composed a program of Music for Organ and Bagpipes. Kevin, playing the bagpipes with Larry Kolokowski, organist, performed the program at First Presbyterian Church, Garden Grove, CA, and in Escondido; both of these were for local American Guild of Organists chapters.

Pianist:

  • 1986-present – Accompanist for Newport-Mesa Unified School District at Newport Harbor High School and Corona Del Mar High School/Middle School. Tours to France, Poland, Canada, Washington DC., Hawaii, New Orleans.
  • 2005-2011 – Cornelia Connelly High School. Tours to Italy, China, New York, England and Ireland.
  • 2009-2011 – William Lock’s The Musica Sacra Singers, also organist
  • 1985-2000 Pianist/percussionist for the  Garden Grove/Orange County Symphony
  • Pianist and organist for several concerts of Meistersingers, Brian Dehn, Director.
  • Orange County Catholic Chorale – 3 years
  • Voice adjudications and competitions SEP, NATS
  • Vocal studios of Kathleen Martin, Susan Wong, Nadia Smeltzer, Patrick Goeser, Janet Smith.
  • Recitals with: Alyssa Wills, Nadia Smeltzer, Hannah De Los Reyes, Steven Humenski.
  • Whittier/La Mirada Civic Light Opera, rehearsal pianist.
  • 1988-1998 Dance accompanist for ballet and modern dance classes and concerts – UCI, SAC, Cerritos College, Chapman University, West Coast Ballet Center
  • 1982-1986 BonesWest – trombonist and pianist for BonesWest jazz trombone ensemble.
  • Carden Hall – occasional concerts, musicals and graduations
  • Solo recitals at CSU Fullerton; Newport Harbor High School; First Presbyterian Church of Garden Grove; The Gem Theater; Our Lady Of Refuge Church, Newport Public Library

Organist:

  • Currently I substitute for other organists around Orange County.
  •  2018 – present – Self-Realization Fellowship in Fullerton.
  • 2010 – 2020 – St. Boniface Catholic Church, Anaheim.
  • 2017 – 2020 – Mission Basilica in San Juan Capistrano.
  • 2005-2011 – Cornelia Connelly High School. Accompanist, organist for tours to Italy, China, England and Ireland, New York.
  • 1990-2008 – Our Lady Of Refuge Catholic Church, Long Beach.
  • 2008-2009 – La Purisima Catholic Church, Orange.
  • 2007-2011 – Annual Orange County Prayer Breakfast.
  • 1980-1981 – Studied organ with Dr. Thomas Harmon at UCLA.
  • Sub-Dean for Orange County American Guild of Organists – 2 years
  • 2005 – Australian tour with Four Seasons Youth Orchestra and Chorale
    • Pianist for concerts in Sydney Opera House and Town Hall
    • Organist for a special recital at St. James Episcopal Church, King Street with violist Dr. Christine Placilla

 

Bagpipes, penny whistle, Irish flute, harp:

  • Bagpiper for OCMCO concerts and Christmas CD.
  • Member of the band “Tradition”- winners of Best Band at Topanga Banjo/Fiddle Contest, and First Place Long Beach Bluegrass Festival
  • The Irish Band, Innisfree – Three tours to American military bases in Okinawa and Japan
  • Winner in Scottish Highland Bagpipe competitions:
    • The MacCrimmon Quaich, Santa Rosa
    • Southern California Piping Championship in Costa Mesa
    • 3rd Place in open piobaireachd at Pleasanton
  • Toured and competed with the pipe bands: Cabar Feidh, the Gordon Greys, LAPD, BeachCities Pipe Band
  • “Brigadoon”: Musical Theater West, Chapman University, Downey CLO, Buena Park CLO, Irvine HS, Mission Viejo HS
  • Penny Whistle player with Celtic Harper, Dennis Doyle on his recording,“Irish Blessings”

 

Recordings:

    • Recorded on Highland Bagpipes: Rhythm of My Heart, by Rod Stewart; Tubular bells 2, by Mike Oldfield
    • Bagpiper for the film – Battleship.
    • How Can I Keep From Singing – Alyssa Wills, soprano; Kevin Weed, piano.
    • Droplets – Solo piano tracks for the play “The Diviners” by Jim Leonard.
  • Spontaneous Composition
  • Celtic Piano
  • Patriotic Piano
  • Clementi Sonatinas

Skills

  • Piano, organ, harpsichord, all keyboard instruments – sight reading, improvising, transposing, accompanying.
  • Teaching and conducting from the keyboard.
  • Coaching of vocal and instrumentalists for performances.
  • Conducting, choral and instrumental, musical director for music theater.
  • Composition, arranging, improvisation, transcription (writing down music from audio).
  • Finale notation software -score and parts preparation for orchestra performance, recording, publishing. (But I still do plenty of writing by hand.)
  • REAPER – Digital Audio Workstation. Basic editing, balancing, fixing, audio files and MIDI.
  • Bagpipes and penny whistles, Irish and Scottish folk music, Indian kirtan.
  • Percussion, trombone.