Joe Fos
Pianist, Composer
Photograph: Carlos Tarrac
The world of music is synonymous with pianist
extraordinaire, Joe Fos. Joe, who was born and raised in San Diego, California,
has been Sun Valley, Idaho's resident pianist since 1979. His career blossomed
at the age of 14 when he won a piano competition over 150 others by performing
the "Hungarian Rhapsody #2", to win him an appearance in concert with Liberace.
Joe graduated with a music degree from San Diego State University where he
received a scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music.
Joe's many-faceted accomplishments include Music/Talent
Director for a popular San Diego evening television talk show; headlining
nightclubs along "restaurant row" in Los Angeles where he was nicknamed "14
Fingers Fos" by Robert Goulet; owning his own nightclub in San Diego, noted as
the "Jazz Mecca of the West;" Musical Director of the "Westgate Hotel" in San
Diego and appearing each evening in their Fontainbleau Room, where Van Cliburn
came to see him perform.
Joe's numerous experiences include solo and
symphony concert appearances throughout the United States and internationally;
he has appeared on national television with the Walt Disney "Disney's Fantasy On
Ice" Christmas special; he has successfully helped raise over $1 Million Dollars
for fund-raising events throughout the country benefiting national and community
programs; he has been a host of the annual exciting Sun Valley Swing 'N' Dixie
Jazz Jamboree since its inception in 1990 where he has been dubbed "the Sun
Valley resident piano wizard;" and, he has been the special guest soloist for
the Sun Valley Summer Symphony fund-raising events for over five years.
A great highlight in Joe's life was the
opportunity to introduce Japanese conductor, Seiji Ozawa, to the United States
in the early 1970s. Mr. Ozawa has since become world-renowned and is the current
Music Director of the Boston Symphony.
Joe is advisor to the Sun Valley Summer Symphony
Board of Directors and Special Committee member. In his first years with the
Summer Symphony, Joe was a smashing success performing an original arrangement
of the score to "Camelot" as special guest soloist for their ever-growing
orchestra, which is comprised of first-chair musicians and concertmasters from
all over the world. He returns as special guest soloist at their annual
fund-raising events using original arrangements each year.
Joe's genius is at once recognizable-he will
amaze you at the concert grand, comfortably providing easy-listening, cabaret,
concert/dance music through a varied program styling, whether it be upbeat,
jazzy, or classics to Chopsticks, songs from Broadway musicals, big-band songs
solo or with his famous Joe Fos Trio or his band. All have Joe's "signature
touch" of classical styling throughout played with dynamic precision and clarity
for the many enthusiastic listeners of this talented artist!
In conjunction with all this, the "Joe Fos Trio"
continues to perform nightly-after almost 20 years-in the elegant Duchin Lounge
of the famous Sun Valley Lodge, constantly evoking the ambience and old-world
elegance of its original grand era through the music he plays there-standards,
opera, classics, light opera, Broadway musicals, show tunes-and more. And, what
is even more extraordinary is that Joe Fos's unparalleled performances are all
from his remarkable memory!
Text by Patricia Fos
Joe Foss Entertainment
P.O. Box 83
Sun Valley, ID 83353
(208) 622-3044