June 24, 2018 - Jerry Nagano
On Sunday, June 24, 2018 at 2:30 PM, the Rochester Theater Organ Society presents Jerry Nagano.
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Jerry Nagano was born and raised in the Los Angeles area where he began his musical training at age ten. From the very beginning the movies played a major role in his musical life. It was because of attending a silent movie show accompanied by the Theater Pipe Organ that Jerry took an interest in the organ. After instruction on electronic organ for a period, he had a chance to study with organist Gaylord Carter, the very person who played for that silent film years before.
During his college years, Jerry was also the organist at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium playing their famed Reginald Foort/BBC Moller Pipe organ. Friendships were made which led to instruction with Carter, Gordon Kibbee, and much later with the late Tom Hazleton. |
For ten years he was the featured artist at Ye Olde Pizza Joynt in San Lorenzo, the original home of the "Wurlitzer in the Pizza Parlor" concept. Since the Pizza Joynt days, Jerry has played at the Stanford Theater in Palo Alto where Classic Hollywood is screened nightly with intermissions performed on the Mighty Wurlitzer. Recent additions include duties at the Oakland Paramount and the California Theatre in San Jose, playing not only the 4 manual auditorium organ but the fabulous 2/10 Style 216 Wurlitzer in the California’s lobby. Patrons of the San Jose Opera, and Symphony Silicon Valley regularly dance their way to their seats to the rhythmic beat of the Wurlitzer organ. In 2017 he was named Theater Organist of the Year by the American Theatre Organ Society.
Aside from his busy musical life, during the day Jerry is a Computer Systems Engineer for Stanford University.
In 1979 the RTOS Program Chairman “discovered” Jerry when he played the Wurlitzer theatre organ installed in the Joe Koons motorcycle repair shop in California during that year’s Los Angeles ATOS National Convention. Jerry was immediately invited to play for RTOS and performed his first Rochester concert in September of 1980. Five more visits to RTOS over the span of 38 years bring us to 2018 as we welcome Jerry back for his seventh RTOS appearance.
Note: Attendees at next year’s ATOS National Convention will have another opportunity to hear Jerry performing on the RTOS-Grierson Wurlitzer in July of 2019 as a featured performer of the convention.
Aside from his busy musical life, during the day Jerry is a Computer Systems Engineer for Stanford University.
In 1979 the RTOS Program Chairman “discovered” Jerry when he played the Wurlitzer theatre organ installed in the Joe Koons motorcycle repair shop in California during that year’s Los Angeles ATOS National Convention. Jerry was immediately invited to play for RTOS and performed his first Rochester concert in September of 1980. Five more visits to RTOS over the span of 38 years bring us to 2018 as we welcome Jerry back for his seventh RTOS appearance.
Note: Attendees at next year’s ATOS National Convention will have another opportunity to hear Jerry performing on the RTOS-Grierson Wurlitzer in July of 2019 as a featured performer of the convention.
