Cardona Jr, Juan

Thomaston Opera House, Thomaston, CT

Juan will demonstrate the Thomaston Opera House Marr-Colton Theatre organ for our POE students. He is currently President of the Connecticut Valley Theatre Organ Society, a chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society who maintain theatre pipe organs at the opera house and Shelton High School, host theatre organ pops concerts, and continue to educate the area public and musicians on use of the theatre pipe organ.

Juan began studying piano and organ at the age of seven and has continued his musical training through college, majoring in classical organ. He studied classical organ with Angela Salcedo at the University of Connecticut. He graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts, majoring in classical organ. In addition to his studies he trained and refined his Theatre Organ skills with Jelani Eddington. Juan has been the staff organist at the Thomaston Opera House for last 14 years and for the past 8 years he has been the staff organists at the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie, NY. As a concert artist, he has performed theatre organ concerts in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey Rhode Island, Alabama, Georgia and Missouri.

Because theatre organs are historically linked to silent film accompaniment, Juan has specialized in these productions. He began doing silent film work, by accompanying silent cartoons at a stage production of “School House Rock” at the Thomaston Opera House and accompanied the Academy Award winning film “Wings” as his first full length feature film. Other films he has scored are: “Phantom of the Opera”, “Robin Hood”, “The Beloved Rogue”, “Tell it to the Marines”, “Speedy”, “The General” and silent short comedies: “The Great Race”, “Big Business” and “ One Week”. The list of films he has accompanied has grown to over 30 silents short comedies and full length features.

Juan has had the distinct honor of performing at Woolsey Hall as guest organist with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Skitch Henderson with vocalists, Laurie Gayle Stephenson and Keith Buterbaugh from Broadway’s “Phantom of the Opera”. Juan has also had the honor of opening for 50’s and 60’s pop star Neil Sedaka and opened and played with Tito Puente at his last performance.