Feature: THE MUSIC OF JOE GIARRUSSO at CV Rep Theater

The Coachella Valley Repertory (CVRep) has announced it will present The Music of Joe Giarrusso, a special classical music event, featuring a movement from Death of Cassini, a new work by Mr. Giarrusso. The concert will also feature performing artists from the USC School of Music. The performance, scheduled for October 13, 2019 at 4:00PM at the CVRep Playhouse in Cathedral City will benefit The CVRep Playhouse (CVRep), now settled into its newly renovated location on the corner of Highway 111 and Cathedral Canyon Dr. in Cathedral City.

The Palm Springs Gay Men's Chorus (PSGMC) commissioned Mr. Giarrusso to write the music for this Oratorio entitled Death of Cassini to the beautiful libretto also commissioned by the PSGMC and written by Joe Dahman. The libretto follows the life of Jamie, a boy with Aspergers disease and his 20-year life-journey juxtaposing the Cassini mission and Jamie's fascination with it. The Nasa Cassini spacecraft was designed to purposely fly through the rings of Saturn and eventually crash, ending this amazing and most successful journey.

"I am honored to have a distinguished group of USC School of Music artists performing at this concert, as well as a tenor soloist from the Palm Springs Gay Men's Chorus performing a song entitled Jamie from Death of Cassini," says, Mr. Giarrusso.

The October 13th concert will also highlight four other compositions performed by four music graduate students from USC School of Music.

All proceeds from Mr. Giarrusso's concerts benefit The Children Affected by AIDS Foundation (in Los Angeles), The Steinway Society of Riverside County, The Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre, The Waring International Piano Competition, The Marquee Academy for Performing Arts, International Classical Concerts of the Desert, and the Los Angeles based Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation.

The Music of Joe Giarrusso will be performed on Sunday, October 13 at 4:00 PM at the CVRep Playhouse located at 68510 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City. Tickets are $30. To order tickets please contact the CVRep box office at 760-296-2966 or visit the website at CVRep.org.

COACHELLA VALLEY REPERTORY is a non-profit, professional regional theatre, that proudly has Small Professional Theatre (SPT) status with Actor's Equity.

CVREP MISSION STATEMENT: Coachella Valley Repertory is an educational and dramatic theater organization that presents innovative productions and children's outreach programs designed to enrich the quality of life for Coachella Valley residents and visitors. For more information, call 760-296-2966 or visit www.cvrep.org

Joe Giarrusso Bio

Joe Giarrusso is a classical music composer and pianist. Mr. Giarrusso has two CD's of his compositions published and has had concerts of his music performed in various theaters and homes within the LA and Palm Springs area. He has collaborated with Dr. Stewart Gordon, past Dean of Music at USC and Giorgi Latso (PHD), his composition teacher, who resides in Vienna with his wife, Anna Ferdova, who presents private concerts of his music throughout the Coachella Valley. His Strega Nona composition, adopted from Tomie dePaola's beloved Children's Book Strega Nona is being performed throughout the Coachella Valley school districts.

Mr. Giarrusso is currently working on Opus 68, a 3-movement composition for Two Pianos and Percussion to be performed by the Latso Duo; Giorgi Latso and Anna Federova-Latso.