Mark Janicello

MARK JANICELLO - SHORT BIOGRAPHY

Singer, Actor,Author, Director, Poet, Painter and Lyricist. These are just a few of the words that can be used to describe the multi-talented American, Mark Janicello. "Mark has a voice that Elvis could have only dreamed about." said Ben Weisman, Composer of 57 Elvis-Hits.

Born in New York, Mark decided at the tender age of 3 that he would be an artist. He's been onstage ever since. His first stage appearance (at 4 years old) was as soloist in his Grandfather's Church in Brooklyn, NY. At 10, Mark wrote and illustrated his first Children's Book "The Cloud Family." He first job as Author/Director/Actor was playing Christopher Columbus in his own production of "The World is Round" that he produced for his elementary school when he was 11 years old...

At the University of North Carolina in Greensboro (Bachelor of Music 1984) Mark began his study to become a professional opera singer. Under the patronage of Licia Albanese, he continued his studies in New York as a Puccini Foundation Prizewinner, studying with the legendary opera singers Franco Corelli und Margaret Harshaw.

In 1990, while he was practicing his operatic arias in the New York Subways, Mark was discovered by a famous opera conductor, who just happened to be passing by. Shortly thereafter, Mark made his Carnegie Hall Debut as Donizetti's "Roberto Devereux" with the Opera Orchestra of New York under the direction of Maestra Eve Queler. In 1992, Mark bet on his creative instincts and was named "America's Best Street Performer" -- beating out 3,000 other contestants from all over the United States. Mark's winning idea was a reflection of his extraordinary imagination: "What if Elvis never died but just turned into Pavarotti?" The Result: a Crossover Number mixing the singing styles and personalities of Elvis with "It's Now Or Never" and Pavarotti with "O Sole Mio." His performance in Grand Central Station brought not only $15,000.00 but international media attention.

His second career as Concert Producer began in 1996 with the Concert Series "ELVIS: Die Hollywood Years" celebrating the music of legendary Elvis Composer Ben Weisman in Gstaad and Zürich, Switzerland. In 1998 he founded LaRaven Productions (named after his 2 daughters, Lara und Raven). The original Production of "The Chamäleon Concert" (1998) coincided with Mark's first stint as Musical Producer. It was followed by: "Be My Love: The Mario Lanza Musical” (1999); “Charlie”(2001); "ELVIS:The Musical" (2002) and "Cloud Number 9" (2007).

Since 1984 Mark has played leading roles in over 23 Musicals, 34 Operas, 12 Plays, 16 Films (including smaller roles in : "Married to the Mob" with Michelle feiffer, "84 Charing Cross Road" with Anne Bancroft and the leading role in the Independent Film "Mozzarella." Additionally, he recorded 26 CDs and appeared more than 100 times on television. "Fate By Numbers" is his first appearance in a computer game.

In his youth, Mark was a passionate painter and graphic artist. Since 2001, he has renewed his childhood interest in painting. An autodidact, he has undertaken his work in this artistic discipline with the same explosive energy with which he endeavors everything else. The results speak for themselves. His first collection of paintings entitled “Erotic Flowers”, has had 7 successful exhibitions in the last 4 years (including 2 in Vienna and one on the prestigious Spiegelgracht in Amsterdam). His first exhibition in Bayreuth, Germany took place in July 2007.

Selected Credits: Recording with Frank Sinatra (an unreleased duet-version of "My Way") Appearances with Liza Minelli, Edita Gruberova, Anna Moffo and Alfredo Kraus Carnegie Hall , Avery Fisher Hall, Opernhaus Zürich, Graduate Young Artists Program Opernhaus Zuerich, Metropolitan Opera Guild, Opera Orchestra of New York, Opernhaus St. Gallen, Amadeus-Festival, Wien, Welt -Musik-Festival, Kopenhagen, The Grand Ole Opry - Nashville, The Apollo Theater - NYC

CD’s „Crossing Brooklyn Ferry“ (1996) Live Recording (UK ONLY) “Suspicious Minds” (1996)" Demo CD “Will You Still Be There" (1997) The last unreleased Elvis Song from Ben Weisman "Can't Help Falling In Love With You" (1997) CD-Single from the Musical "Elvis: A Musical Biography" "Du bist das Herz der Welt für mich" (1998) Duet with Hanne Haller "Be My Love" (1999) Cd of the Musical “Classics” – (1999) Puccini and Verdi Tenor Arias "Deep In Your Soul" (2000) “Time Stands Still” CD-Single (2000) "Charlie: A New Musical" (2001) (German Edition) "Right Now" (2001) CD-Single from the Musical "Charlie" "Amazing Grace" (2001) Gospel Classics "Endless Love" Mark Janicello LIVE in Konert (2002) "ELVIS: Die Show, Sein Leben" (2002) CD of the Musical "Great Big Mama" (2002) - CD-Single “I Can’t Make You Love Me” (EP) (2003) “The Christmas Song(s)” (EP) (2003) “Musical Man” (2004) “Traummelodien”– (2004) Tenor Arias “Charlie: A New Musical” (2004) (English Version) “Butterfly” (2005) “Georgia on my mind” (EP) (2005)

World Premieres: · Per Nørgård composed the opera "Nuit Des Hommes" (Kopenhagen,1996) especially for Mark Janicello; Graham Todd composed the Oratorio "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" ( Sussex England 1996) for Mark Janicello

Films with: Ann Bancroft, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael J. Fox, Jamie Lee Curtis, - Double für Alec Baldwin, TV: NED 1, NCRV, "The Today Show-NBC", CNN, "Entertainment Tonight" und Bill Cosby Live Auftritt "Showtime at the Apollo", ORF, ATV, SAT 1, Pro Sieben, RTL, BR, SF1, NBC,