Rock Theater originators, Trans-Siberian Orchestra are preparing to light up the road for an eight-month world tour, traveling to over 120 markets in the U.S. and Europe. The tour will showcase their unique combination of story-telling, virtuoso musicianship and over the top production. Beginning November 11th, TSO will rock your winter season, performing the timeless classic “Christmas Eve and Other Stories” in its entirety, followed by excerpts from the upcoming Rock Theater installment “Gutter Ballet and The New York Blues Express”. Then in February, TSO will unleash their Spring Tour with Beethoven’s Last Night, bringing the music and the story of the famed composer’s battle for his eternal soul to markets new and old.

As one of the top selling acts in the world, Trans-Siberian Orchestra has cemented itself as an annual tradition not to be missed.  The band has grown to become a year round touring juggernaut, performing what creator/writer/producer Paul O’Neill has dubbed “Rock Theater.”  Charting its success and the creation of this genre -- which is part theatrical show, part rock spectacle -- the new PBS Special, “The Birth of Rock Theater”, focuses on O’Neill’s vision for TSO and how he went about creating this art form. Featuring live performances from “Beethoven’s Last Night”, TSO’s gold-certified rock opera fantasy, as well as music from their most recent album “Night Castle”, which debuted at #5 on the Billboard Charts, “The Birth of Rock Theater” is a must see for any TSO fan.

TSO’s 2011 Winter Tour will encompass 118 performances in nearly 80 cities in North America. TSO’s Winter Tour played to over 8 million fans in 80+ cities, generating revenues of nearly $330 million. Since its first tour in 1999, TSO has been one of the concert business’s most successful acts, consistently rating in the Top 10 for both gross revenues and audience attendance.

With sales in excess of 8 million – Trans-Siberian Orchestra is among the most popular groups of the modern era. The Orchestra debuted in 1996 with the timeless “CHRISTMAS EVE AND OTHER STORIES”. Highlighted by the remarkable hit single, “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24”, the album has since achieved 2x platinum certification from the RIAA, with sales now rapidly approaching 3 million. Two further albums completed O’Neill’s planned Christmas Trilogy; 1998’s “THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC” and 2004’s “THE LOST CHRISTMAS EVE”, both of which are currently approaching 2x platinum certification. All three of the Orchestra’s Christmas-themed albums have proven enduring blockbusters, returning annually to the top 10 on Billboard’s “Top Catalog Albums” and “Top Holiday Albums” charts.

For ticket sales and more information on TSO, please visit:   www.trans-siberian.com

Stacey Taylor was able to sit down with co-founder AL PITRELLI for one last chat before the big show December 22nd.

Listen to the interview below.

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 TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA   -   Biography
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When Paul O'Neill first conceived Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO), his goal was as straightforward as it was ambitious. "The whole idea," he explains, "was to create a progressive rock band that would push the boundaries further than any group before, following in the footsteps of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Pink Floyd, the Who...but take it way, way further."

With more than 8 million albums sold, TSO has inspired generations of fans to rediscover the multi-dimensional art form of the rock opera. On the road, they have become one of the world's top acts including a recent mention in Billboard magazine as one of the top touring artists of the past decade. Their annual Winter Tour features a $20 million-plus production that has played to over 8 million people in 80+ cities, selling more than $330 million worth of tickets.

O'Neill’s vision for the future is a unique combination of theatrical story-telling, virtuoso musicianship and over the top production called Rock Theater. “It’s not Broadway, it’s a hybrid, it’s something different,” describes O’Neill. “When you come to see one of our shows, and you’re in that venue, our job is to take you to someplace that you wouldn’t think you’d be able to go unless you were asleep and dreaming. We attempt to make each concert a journey, causing you to feel emotions you have never felt before. And as you exit the show, you leave feeling a little more relaxed and a little more invigorated, and better prepared to take on the ordinary troubles of the world.”

After many years in the making, Rock Theater made its debut in 2010 with BEETHOVEN’S LAST NIGHT, a sensory overloading experience that tells the story of the composer’s last night on earth, through a multimedia explosion of hard rock, classical and Broadway along with extensive use of video, lasers, pyro and cutting edge lighting. In 2011, TSO also took the show to Europe for the first time, playing shows in cities like Berlin, Vienna, Amsterdam and London.

Even with a projected 200 live performances in the next 12 months, O’Neill’s finding the time to widen the array of projects he is working on. The band is currently in the studio recording their next production, GUTTER BALLET. A TV program done in partnership with PBS, called “The Birth Of Rock Theater,” features TSO captured live for the first time on video and has recently hit the airwaves. In addition, two graphic novels in conjunction with famed illustrator Greg Hildebrandt are also in the works, and that’s just a few of the many multimedia avenues TSO will be exploring in the near future.
 
O’Neill, a New York City native grew up "with a wide-ranging world of musical influences” around him, particularly the previously mentioned rock 'n' roll titans. But O'Neill also soaked up sources such as Broadway musicals, Motown and singer-songwriters such as Jim Croce and Harry Chapin, while authors such as Oscar Wilde and Robert Graves fueled his literary tastes. He began his career playing guitar for touring productions of Jesus Christ Superstar and Hair, and then went to work in the late 70’s for Leber-Krebs Inc., the Manhattan management company whose clients included Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, AC/DC, Def Leppard, the Scorpions, the New York Dolls and scores of others. In the 80’s, O'Neill became a major promoter in Japan as well, but returned to the States to start writing and producing full-time.

O'Neill helmed Aerosmith's CLASSICS LIVE I and CLASSICS LIVE II albums before beginning a fortuitous relationship with the band Savatage that led them to be the forerunners in progressive rock with albums such as HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN KING, GUTTER BALLET, STREETS: A ROCK OPERA and DEAD WINTER DEAD. It also introduced him to Jon Oliva, Bob Kinkel and Al Pitrelli, as well as reconnecting him with legendary studio engineer Dave Wittman, who all became collaborators in O'Neill's grand vision – Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

"I wanted to take the very best of all the forms of music I grew up on and merge them into a new style," O'Neill says. "Basically I was building on the work of everybody I worshipped: the rock opera parts from bands like the Who; the marriage of classical and rock from bands like Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Yes and Queen; the over-the-top light show from bands like Pink Floyd...I always wanted to do a full rock opera with a full progressive band and at least 24 lead singers.”

O'Neill took the idea to Atlantic Records which, to his surprise, went for it and financed the creation of Romanov (When Kings Must Whisper) which was initially to be TSO’s first release. "We were very fortunate," he says. "It was one of the only labels left that still did an ‘old school’ kind of artist development. My original concept was, ‘We were going to do six rock operas, a trilogy about Christmas and maybe one or two regular albums.’"

However, when Romanov got temporarily put on the back burner, the first installment of the Christmas trilogy, CHRISTMAS EVE AND OTHER STORIES, became TSO’s debut album. Fueled by the socially-conscious single, "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24," the album went double platinum. More platinum certifications followed with 1998’s THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC, and the final installment of the Christmas trilogy, THE LOST CHRISTMAS EVE in 2004. In the midst of completing the trilogy, TSO released their first non-holiday rock opera the gold certified BEETHOVEN'S LAST NIGHT.

The most recent release NIGHT CASTLE debuted at #5 and was certified gold in just 8 weeks. NIGHT CASTLE is a sweeping two-discs of genre-blending epics and an affecting story that takes you around the world, through time and to points beyond. O'Neill and company plan to eventually give NIGHT CASTLE its due in a live setting in the near future.

But TSO really cemented its following in concert. The group hit the road in 1999, beginning an annual November-December extravaganza that O'Neill takes pride in being "as over the top as we can make it.” “We have two stages -- with pyro, light and lasers -- on both sides of the arena, as well as in the crowd and the best sound we can find...There's no second-class seat at a Trans-Siberian Orchestra show. I want people to walk out of our shows speechless and... still not believing what they have seen was possible."

"We spend a lot of time planning," O'Neill confesses with a laugh, "and people are always telling me, 'Paul, stop writing and start recording!' It's working out great, though. I feel lucky that it's gone this long and that we get to do what we love for a living. The arts have incredible power, and with that comes incredible responsibility. Someone once said that if you want to change the world, don't become a politician -- write a book, write a great song. I believe in that, and that's what Trans-Siberian Orchestra is about," O'Neill explains. "This is a group -- a constantly morphing group -- of extremely creative and talented individuals who are always trying to raise the bar of where a band can take its audience sonically, visually and emotionally. With that as our ideal, the possibilities are endless."

Al Pitrelli:† Guitarist, Musical Director

Without question, Al Pitrelli is one of the most innovative and creative guitarists of our time.† He has made a name for himself playing guitar and touring for a myriad of artists through the years all of which led to his work with Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

After leaving Berklee School of Music in Boston in the early 80s, Al’s first major gig was with Michael Bolton.† His versatility and mastery of styles led to recording and touring with a variety of rock acts, including: Alice Cooper, Asia, Dee Snider’s Widowmaker, Danger Danger, Blue Oyster Cult, and Megadeth among others.

In the mid-90’s he joined the progressive metal band Savatage where he began working with producer Paul O’Neill.† O’Neill’s vision of creating Rock Operas took the members of Savatage to new levels and to the eventual formation of Trans-Siberian Orchestra.† Pitrelli’s contributions are evident on every album
as his edgy playing and classical stylings merge perfectly with TSO’s passion and intensity.

Al has been the Musical Director/ Lead Guitarist of TSO’s West Coast touring production since 2001.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Facts & Figures

• TSO is one of the only acts today that resonates with younger, rock music fans as well as older adult
contemporary listeners and espouses a positive message for all.
• TSO was ranked in the Top 25 Touring artists of the Past Decade (1999-2009) according to Billboard Magazine
•  TSO has sold over a MILLON tickets for 5 consecutive years.
• TSO Attendance was over 1.1 million people in 2010
•  TSO has sold over 8 MILLION CD’s to date.
• TSO has been called a mix of The Who’s Tommy & Andrew Lloyd Weber with Pink Floyd’s lights
• TSO enjoyed over 25,000 spins at radio in 2010.
• TSO has played Live to over 8 million people and grossed over $300 million since their first tour in 1999
• TSO donates $1 from every ticket sold to charity and in over the past 10 years has donated over $8 million dollars to charity!

ALBUMS/CD’S/RADIO

•  Each TSO Christmas Record is annually a Top Ten best selling Holiday Record as well as a Top 10 best selling Catalog Record in the United States (Billboard Magazine).
•  TSO has seen significant airplay with singles from their Christmas Trilogy as well as their best debut with the track “Nut Rocker” from the “Night Castle” double CD.
•  TSO sold more than 2 millions CD/DVDs in the past 2 years.
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Christmas Eve & Other Stories  (Released 1996)†
0. Certified Triple Platinum – over 3.1 million records sold
0. Annually one of the Top 5 Holiday Records in the US
0. Contains the smash hit “Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24”
0. Radio airplay in almost every radio format (Rock, AC, CHR, Classic Rock & Religious).
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The Christmas Attic  (Released 1998)
0. Certified Platinum –1.7 million sold
0. Annually one of the Top 10 Holiday Records in the U.S.
0. Contains the radio hit “Christmas Canon”
0. Airplay has increased every year since release – over 11,000 spins in 2010.
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The Lost Christmas Eve  (Released 2004)
0. Certified Double Platinum – 2.1 million sold
0. Features the single “Wizards in Winter” as seen in the Miller Beer Commercial
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Beethoven’s Last Night  (Released 2000)
0. TSO’s first non-holiday rock opera
0. Story of historical fictionabout one of the greatest composers.
0. Features TSO’s symphonic rock take on standards by Beethoven, Mozart as well as several originals.
0. Certified Gold with over 500,000 units sold

Night Castle  (Released 2009)
0. TSO’s first double album
0. Debutes at #5 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart.  Certified GOLD within 8 weeks of release.
0. Features TSO’s best single debut with their cover of “Nut Rocker”
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TV

TSO’s debut TV Special “The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve” has been used as a fundraiser for PBS from 2002-2011. It has been shown over 500 times in over 120 markets.

TSO appearances include Good Morning America, Regis & Kelly, Rosie O’Donnell, Today Show, CNN, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and many more National TV shows.

TSO’s “Wizards In Winter” was featured in a nationwide Miller Lite commercial in 2005, 2006, & 2007