Tony Geballe (a Seattle native living in New York City) has studied, taught and performed music of many kinds all over the world. His main instrument is guitar, including nylon-string, steel-string, 12-string and electric. Tony also works as a composer and sound designer for theater, and occasionally as engineer and producer for various recording projects.

Tony's career of recording, performing, teaching, theater sound design and composition has spanned the globe and includes many kinds of music, from solo guitar to the Turkish music trio Dostlar (whose 1984 Northwest Folklife Festival performance was broadcast nationwide on NPR) to being a member of the New York Indonesian Consulate Gamelan. Tony has appeared on many recordings, on local and national radio and television shows and toured worldwide. He has contributed compositions and playing to many recordings, including several by Toyah Willcox, The Trey Gunn Band, The Hellboys, and Sun Palace.

Tony has been invited to teach guitar and music regularly in the U.S. and Europe, and has been associated with Guitar Craft since 1985. He was also co-director and instructor at DrumTime, a rhythm workshop, from 1990-94.

In 1993, Tony became Composer-in-Residence and Sound Designer for the Arden Party Theater Company, directed by Karin Coonrod. He designed sound, composed and performed music for many productions with the company (see Tour page). In 1996 he received a grant from Meet the Composer. Arden Party’s last production with Tony’s music was the world premier of Christmas at the Ivanovs’, by the Russian surrealist Alexander Vvedensky, presented at the Classic Stage Company in NYC, December, 1997. Tony was also a participant in the 1998 Nautilus/New Dramatists Composer-Librettist Studio. Over the last several years he has designed sound and/or composed music at the New York Theater Workshop, the Hartford Stage, and for the groundbreaking production of Laude in Urbis in Orvieto, Italy, where he is also a performer.

Tony's work in theater as both Sound Designer and Composer has continued since then, in NYC and elsewhere. For details, please see the Tour page.

Tony engineered a large part of the sessions for the recent Sun Palace CD, Give Me a Perfect World, and also co-produced the CD. He has also engineered and produced sessions for Christina Lisi and others.

Tony's CD of solo 12-string guitar music, "Native of the Rain," was released by Discipline Global Mobile records. The 12-string guitar is primarily known as a folk instrument, but Tony combines elements of classical and jazz techniques, harmony and form with the shimmering and resonant sound of the instrument, to create a unique, compelling and satisfying music. The influences of his teachers Ralph Towner, Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, and Necdet Yasar, among others, can also be heard.

Press Notices for Tony Geballe's Music

Billboard on Ophelia's Shadow: "A very fine set of atmospheric tracks. Backed by guitarist Tony Geballe, Toyah conjures strong moods."

The Village Voice about Beggar's Opera: "This funky costume drama with Tony Geballe's retooled folk songs is the ensemble's most accomplished work yet."

Backstage about Beggar's Opera: "On the positive side of this production is Tony Geballe's strong, mood-inducing music."

Backstage on Faustus: "Music, composed and performed by Tony Geballe, contributes to the moodiness and humor of the piece."

Town and Village on Faustus: "The somber, haunting music, composed and performed by Tony Geballe, adds a suitable, otherworldly atmosphere to the magic and alchemy of the play's words."

New York Newsday on Emperor of the Moon: "A chorus of women, punked out in black gear, delivers a nose-thumbing rendition of a love chant with teasing, contrapuntal audacity. It fulfills all our dormant fantasies about the Roches headlining in a Berlin cabaret deconstruction of Lysistrata."

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