Vio-fonik: Bio
Vio-fonik
Vio-fonik
Formed in 1994 by commercial violinist Harry Scorzo, Vio-fonik is a string trio consisting of two violins and cello, and features Scorzo’s writing and improvising. Harry is joined by Robin Cecil (violin) and Alan Mautner (cello), both fine classical instrumentalists and respected educators. Percussionist, Chris Garcia, is also a frequent guest adding rhythm on tablas, clay drums, and other ethnic percussion instruments and found objects.
Vio-fonik’s repertoire borrows from the harmonic and contrapuntal lexicon of the mid and late 20th century, and also from mainstream jazz, afro-cuban music, and popular music of the later 20th century.
According to Scorzo, "Vio-fonik sounds like Stravinsky with groove and with a jazz violinist playing on top".
"We're going the Italian trio sonata route (2 treble clef instruments and continuo), as apposed to the romantic string trio consisting of violin, viola, and cello. I find our setup to provide a great little unit for inventing over. It's the perfect weight to improvise over with acoustic violin, and the small string choir affords me all the resources I need to realize the kind of counterpoint and harmony I love to listen to and to play over"
Vio-fonik has played at numerous venues in Southern California and beyond, and continues to garner praise from critics, fans, and fellow musicians.
Their recordings are available on CDBaby.com, Amazon.com., I-Tunes, Rhapsody, and from the store on this website.
Harry Scorzo - Violin/Composer
Harry Scorzo studied violin privately with Mary Ann Ringold and master teacher Noumi Fischer, and at East Los Angeles Junior College, and Immaculate Heart College Conservatory. Additionally, he studied composition with Walter Carr and Dorance Stalvey, and conducting with Robert Cole.
Scorzo is currently a working violinist in the Los Angeles area, as well as a composer/arranger, contractor, and producer, and has over thirty years of professional experience. His violin solos can be heard in the recordings of “Bongo Logic” (Rycodisk, Rhythm Safari, and Montuno Records) as well as in the motion picture soundtracks to “Envy”, “Rushmore”, “Rocky and Bullwinkle”, and “Welcome To Collinwood”. Harry’s playing has been featured in many television programs and commercials, including: “The Mind of the Married Man”, “Resurrection Blvd.”, and MTV’s “The Osborne’s”. He is considered the “Swiss Army Knife” of session violinists, filling the chair whenever the unusual is needed.
In his spare time, Harry cooks, makes short films, and creates paper sculpture and collage art.
Robin Cecil - Violin
Violinist Robin Cecil, received her BA in Music at California State University, Long Beach, and was a member of the honored University String Quartet, the Debut Symphony, and American Youth Symphony. She went on to teach Instrumental Music for the Long Beach School District and worked as String Director at the Orange County High School of the Performing Arts where she conducted string and chamber ensembles.
Robin has performed many works for orchestras and ensembles in the Southern California area including work for Disney, Opera Pacific, Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, Crystal Cathedral, Orchestra of Santa Fe, and the Mozart Classical Orchestra. She has appeared in and recorded several movie scores and music videos for pop, classical, and jazz celebrities and is often requested to perform live with artists such as Jerry "The Iceman" Butler, Rod Stewart, Alicia Keys, Reba McIntyre, Josh Groban, and latin artist Juan Gabriel. Robin is presently a member of Glendale Symphony and a proud mother of 3 kids.
Alan Mautner - Cello
Alan Mautner has been playing cello professionally in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas for the last 20 years. He received his Bachelor of Music Degree from California State University, Fullerton. He has performed with several local orchestras including the Pacific Symphony, Redlands Symphony, Riverside Symphony, and the Indian Wells Desert Symphony. He currently is the principal cellist for the Mozart Classical Orchestra, the La Mirada Symphony, and the Valley Cultural Chamber Orchestra. In addition to his symphony work, he has been in back-up orchestras for entertainers including Dionne Warwick, Dennis de Young, Jon Tesh, The Gatlin Brothers, Barry White and Phil Collins. Alan Has also performed with jazz artist such as Teddy Edwards, Terry Gibbs and McCoy Tyner.
Alan’s experience in chamber music has taken him abroad on several occasions. He toured with his string quartet “The California Strings” to Europe in 1983, and his piano trio “Trio du Bois” performed at the American University in Cairo, Egypt. in 2000. Alan performed in St. Chapel in Paris, France, part of the first foreign ensemble to perform in that venue.
In addition to his performing, Alan has received critical praise as a conductor. He is currently on the faculty of The Los Angeles County High School for the Arts where he is the conductor of the Symphony Orchestra, String Ensemble, and coaches String Chamber Music. His duties there also have him conducting operas and musical theatre works. Alan is also the cello professor at Concordia University in Irvine and in 2005, he joined the faculty at California Polytechnic University, Pomona as the director of their string ensemble. This fall, Alan will also be on part time faculty with California State University, Los Angeles as professor of cello. He also has his own teaching studio out of his home in Buena Park, CA.
Christopher Garcia - Percussion
Chris was born, raised, and still resides in East L.A. (Never to be confused with West L.A.). His background includes performances in a wide variety of musical settings including; Jazz, Rock, World Music, traditional Mexican music, pre-Hispanic music, percussion ensemble, soundtracks, and cartoon music.He attributes his musical growth to his studies with Professor John Bergamo, Pandit Tarnath Rao, Swapan Chadhouri and Leonice Shinemann where he studied tabla, while attending California Institute of the Arts on a full scholarship. Chris was also a member of the award winning Cal Arts Percussion Ensemble in 1979.
He attributes his "style"(?) to Listening to EVERYTHING, logging in thousands of hours, practicing, rehearsing,performing and touring constantly with musicians interested in stretching and reinventing themselves throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Southeast Asia.Chris' drumming is unusual in that it incorporates not only the standard rhythms and their permutations, but also a fluency with odd time signatures and sonic textures, which he seamlessly incorporates into his playing.
His fascination for New Music and Sound as well as the advent of MIDI technology allow him the possibility of combining textures that have never before been available for the percussionist in live performance. Playing tabla next to state of the art MIDI instruments and being able to blend them musically is a challenge he continually explores.