American Festival Pops Orchestra

Previews and Reviews

Q&A with Mason alumnus turned composer, Vinny Oppido

April 17, 2013 - C2M Entertainment Editor Helena Okolicsanyi of Fourth Estate

Fairfax, VA—Los Angeles-based composer Vinny Oppido has a lot to boast since graduating from George Mason University in 2010. This past weekend, Oppido returned to Mason to perform with the American Festival Pops Orchestra alongside its conductor and Mason professor, Anthony Maiello.

Oppido recently worked on composing the music fo this year's Academy Awards and has had original works performed by the likes of Broadway legend Brian Stokes Mitchell.

Oppido spoke with Connect2Mason’s Entertainment Editor, Helena Okolicsanyi, about his experience at Mason, his mentors and the process of composing music.

Connect2Mason: You graduated from Mason a few years ago. What was the biggest influence in leading you to grow in your music composition?

Vinny Oppido: I think the opportunity to have my music performed. [Anthony] Maiello was really supportive and everything I wrote was performed at some point or another. And I think that’s the greatest education, which is to have live-human beings playing your music as opposed to music on just on a sheet of paper. Through that you learn what you should and shouldn’t do, like how a violin double stop isn’t possible sometimes.

Read more at the Fourth Estate by clicking here.