Johnny Calabrese is a New-York based singer-songwriter, composer, music director, and pianist, specializing in contemporary pop/rock/indie performances and musical theater.

featured projects

—Composer for CRYSTAL CLEAR—

An original two-act musical following Tanya, a twentysomething aquarist navigating love, grief, and memory after a life-altering loss. With themes of queerness, healing, and the blurry lines between past and present, it is a poignant story brought to life through contemporary musical theater, originally performed as a fully-staged senior project by Calista Janicki in April 2022. Since then, our show has been workshopped in an October 2024 Utica University production with new songs, orchestrations, and revised scenes added along the way, and plans to establish it further.

—clips from Music & Technology Showcase at Purchase College—

featuring Sophie Grosswendt (Soppho) on bass and Brady Dorrington on guitar

"TUSCAN DREAMS"

"BUTTERFLIES"

featured performer at
Utica University's
Jackson Lunch Hour Series

UTICA TANGERINE

—DEMOS FROM THE VAULTS OF
CRYSTAL CLEAR—

"OVERTURE"

"A NEW START" (cut/no vocal)

© 2022 Calista Janicki and John Calabrese. All rights reserved.

about me

Johnny Calabrese is a singer-songwriter, composer, music director, pianist, and all-around creative originating from the Mohawk Valley of New York. Whether it's shaping a new or existing musical, coaching singers in a rehearsal room, or sitting behind a piano and microphone in the studio, he approaches each new project with joy, intent, preparation, and the love for collaboration.Johnny has a Bachelor of Music in Studio Composition from the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College, with a background spanning musical theatre, contemporary pop/rock/indie, and performance-driven storytelling. He has music directed numerous productions among academic, professional, and community-based settings—shows like Fun Home, American Idiot, Rent, Mamma Mia, and The Little Mermaid—and has performed at venues such as Purchase College, Utica University, Levitt AMP Utica Music Series, Tramontane Café, Clinton Farmers' Market, and The Bitter End in NYC.He is deeply passionate about developing original and devised works—independent student projects like Homesick, Room for Growth, Un paese che si chiama casa—arranging music for plays, and composing/orchestrating for larger scale projects, like Crystal Clear, a new two-act musical which has been shaped through a fully-staged performance and later revised as a staged reading/workshop.

JOHNNY CALABRESE

[email protected]A dynamic songwriter, performer, and multi-instrumentalist with a strong background in composing, arranging, and live performance. Experienced in academic and professional settings with a portfolio that spans original musical theater, ensemble leadership, and music production. Passionate about creating meaningful, collaborative, and emotionally impactful musical experiences.5'5" | Brown Hair | Vocal Range: Tenor/Baritone - Mix/High Belt (B4), A2-Bb5

🔍 SKILLS & PROGRAMS

  • Composition/arranging, music production, vocal coaching

  • Piano (13yrs), guitar (7yrs), sight-reading, ear training, music theory

  • Transcription, transposition, score/chart preparation

  • Programs: Logic Pro, MuseScore, docs/spreadsheets, Final Cut Pro

  • Languages: Conversational Spanish and Italian

🎓 EDUCATION

Bachelor of Music in Studio Composition
Conservatory of Music at Purchase College | 2024Associate of Arts in Individual Studies
Mohawk Valley Community College | 2021

🎭 MUSICAL THEATER EXPERIENCE

DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID, Dec 2025-Mar 2026
Asst. Music Director/Pianist
Thomas R. Proctor High School (Utica, NY)
(dir. Lacey Stevens)AMERICAN IDIOT, Oct-Dec 2025
Music Director/Pianist/Conductor
Utica University Theatre (Utica, NY)
(dir. Christian Schaefer)RENT, Apr-Jun 2025
Asst. Music Director/Rehearsal Pianist/Keyboard 2
Rome Community Theater
(dir. Justin Jones)MAMMA MIA!, Dec 2024-Mar 2025
Asst. Music Director/Pianist
Thomas R. Proctor High School (Utica, NY)
(dir. Lacey Stevens)FIRST DATE, Dec 2024-Feb 2025
Music Director/Rehearsal Pianist
Rome Community Theater (Rome, NY)
(dir. Claire Bosley/co-MD. Alaces Sarmiento)FUCKING A, Aug-Oct 2023
Music Director/Pianist/Arranger
Conservatory of Theater Arts at Purchase College (Purchase, NY)
(dir. Cezar Williams)
• Fall production for Acting Co. 48
• Arranged Suzan-Lori Parks' original piano score for additional clarinet and bass parts.
• Wrote scene transitions based on existing melodies/motifs.FUN HOME, Jun-Jul 2023
Music Director/Pianist
Brick 2 Theater Co./The Other Side (Utica, NY)
(dir. Pat Stone)

📝 ORIGINAL WORK

JACKSON LUNCH HOUR SERIES, Oct 2024
Featured Artist/Singer-Songwriter
Utica University (Utica, NY)
• Performed an hour-long setlist of original musicHOMESICK: SEARCHING FOR COMFORT IN THE UNKNOWN, Oct-Nov 2024
Composer
Purchase College (Purchase, NY)
• Student senior project
• Devised by Dana Freeman, Judit Queral Perramon, and Maggie AndersonCRYSTAL CLEAR, Oct 2024
Composer/Music Director/Co-Lyricist
Utica Pioneer Players/Utica University (Utica, NY)
• Staged reading/workshop version of Crystal Clear (dir. Kate Vaughan)
• Led by faculty advisor Laura SalvaggioUN PAESE CHE SI CHIAMA CASA, Jul 2024
Composer/Writer/Actor
Purchase College, Summer in Italy (Pisciotta, Italy)
• “A Town Called Home” (dir. Rachel Dickstein)
• Devised project for Staging Italian Stories class during summer abroad
• Wrote musical underscores and a closing ensemble song in ItalianROOM FOR GROWTH, Nov 2023
Composer
Purchase College (Purchase, NY)
• Student senior project
• Play written by Olivia Perrone (dir. Alyssa Bernstein)CRYSTAL CLEAR, Nov 2021-Apr 2022
Composer/Music Director/Co-Lyricist/Orchestrator
Purchase College (Purchase, NY)
• Student senior project
• Fully-staged original musical (book/lyrics/dir. Calista Janicki)

contact

Let's make music together!
Whether you're producing a show, developing a new musical/play, need a pianist, or looking for custom music, I'm available for freelance work as a composer, arranger, music director, and gigging pianist/singer. Reach out to discuss your needs!

Services

SUBMIT A REQUEST / INQUIRY

[email protected]

replies to be expected in about 1-3 days

music direction

theater productions
seeking a music director

🎭 Experienced in leading and scheduling rehearsals, conducting/coordinating pit musicians, coaching singers, blending vocal ensembles, and shaping the musical arc of a production. Best in contemporary, pop/rock styles with some experience in jazz and classical.

songwriting & arranging

looking to write or collaborate
on a musical project

📝 Custom arrangement(s)/original music for your project. Best for artists, musicals, films, video games, and other projects. From instrumental to vocal, piano, guitar, digital, and orchestral, I'll work with you to create something special.

performance

booking for piano gigs, singing,
live performances, and events

🎹 Comfortable singing, playing rehearsals, auditions, band combos, dinner music, and performances. Sight-reading, improvisation, transposition, arranging leadsheets/charts, and creating accompaniment sensitive to the performer.

choral work

looking for vocal arrangements
or ensemble leadership

🎤 Experienced in leading small to large vocal ensembles and soloists. Original choral arrangements in any style or voicing (SATB, etc.). Custom medleys or thematic programs for concerts and events. Sheet music preparation and recording learning tracks for your singers. Best for schools, community choirs, professional vocal ensembles, theater productions, and other special events.

NOTE ON COPYRIGHT AND CREDIT:
Unless otherwise specified, all original compositions and arrangements remain the intellectual property of the composer. Clients are granted non-exclusive rights for the agreed-upon use. Credit as “Music by-", "Lyrics by-" or "Arrangement by Johnny Calabrese” is requested whenever the work is performed, recorded, or shared publicly.

list of musical productions

MUSIC DIRECTING / PIANO

American IdiotUtica University2025
First DateRome Community Theater2025
Fucking APurchase College CoTA2023
Fun HomeBrick 2 Theater Co.2023
Crystal ClearPurchase College / Utica Uni.2022 / 2024

ASSISTANT MUSIC DIRECTING / PIANO

Disney's The Little MermaidT.R. Proctor High School2026
RentRome Community Theater2025
Mamma Mia!T.R. Proctor High School2025

ACTING CREDITS

High School MusicalTroy BoltonT.R. Proctor High School2020
Oklahoma!Fred/EnsembleT.R. Proctor High School2019
Legally BlondeKiki/Carlos/EnsembleUtica Dance Foundation2018
SeussicalWickershamStanley Theatre - Summer on Stage!2018
Fiddler on the RoofRabbiT.R. Proctor High School2018
Willy WonkaMike TeaveeT.R. Proctor High School2017

upcoming shows

🗓️ MARDisney's The Little Mermaid
12th - 6:30 PMThomas R. Proctor High School
13th - 6:30 PMAsst. Music Director / Pianist
14th - 2:00 PM 

music

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WHAT I DO

📝 Songwriting🎭 Music Direction🎹 Performance
Original compositions for artists, film, and theaterLeading singers, orchestras, and ensembles for stage productionsLive piano accompaniment, guitar, and/or vocal performances for gigs and events

original recordings, scores, and compositions spanning indie-pop, musical theater, and film

HADESTOWN, Feb 2026
Pianist
Waterville High School (dir. Tayler Kohan)Directory:

  • American Idiot

  • Jackson Lunch Hour Series

  • Homecoming Cabaret

  • Rent

  • First Date

— DISCOGRAPHY —

music

Thanks for visiting! This page is still currently under construction.

Johnny Calabrese

JOHNNY CALABRESE

singer-songwriter • music director • pianist • composer

Let's make music together!
Whether you're producing a show, developing a new musical/play, need a pianist, or looking for custom music, I'm available for freelance work as a composer, arranger, music director, and gigging pianist/singer. I’m happy to work within budgets when possible—reach out to discuss your needs.