Charles Sayre is a bit of a musical anomaly. He has composed and arranged music for both Warner Brothers and Hal Leonard Publications, which has included jazz ensemble, wind ensemble and orchestra. He has been commissioned by various professional musical organizations, including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, to compose and arrange special projects. He creates a new and different spin for pops orchestra and has arranged musical shows for Styx, Patti Labelle, Alison Krauss, and Roger Whittaker.

 

A three CD project for Platinum\Intersound Records found him arranging and conducting the music of Enya (Orinoco Flow), George Winston (Forbidden Forest), and Maiden of Mysteries (another visit with Enya) with the Talesin Orchestra. The latter contains an original work - Before the Storm. Orinoco Flow enjoyed over 54 weeks on the Billboard Classical Crossover chart, reaching and retaining the number one spot for six consecutive weeks. Also worth noting, Orinoco Flow was the number one classical crossover CD produced by an independent label in 1997, and number one overall in 1997. Billboard ranked Sayre as the number seven crossover artist for the year.

 

After college - Youngstown State and the Berklee College of Music - Mr. Sayre went on to distinguish himself as an arranger and composer for the various components of the USAF band in Washington, DC. From there, his career turned very commercial, creating award winning jingles and scores, often involving the talents of Lola Falana, John Davidsons, the Smothers Brothers, Marilyn Maye and others. His client list includes Avon, Du Pont, The Knickerbocker Toy Company, The Smithsonian Institution and The United Way of America to name a few.

 

Mr. Sayre has reinvented himself on many occasions to take on projects with a larger than musical scope. He was executive producer for all elements of the 1976 Bi-Centennial public service information campaign sponsored by the federal government. He has arranged, conducted and produced shows at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, DC. He produced and directed the opening show for the recently renovated Rialto theater in downtown Atlanta where he also composed, arranged and conducted a fifty piece orchestra, featuring the vocal talents of Maureen McGovern singing an original piece by Sayre titled ATLANTA. He has composed, arranged, produced and conducted recording sessions in major U.S. venues as well as the world famous Abbey Road Studios in London, England. He is a recipient of a National Endowment Grant.

 

Recently, Mr. Sayre composed, arranged and conducted an evening of music with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra that played to a standing ovation. Mr. Sayre currently resides in Atlanta where he is involved with various music projects.