It has long been a dream of Stephan to produce a realistic symphony orchestra sound using computer technology. Recently, with the advent of high-quality digital samples and increasingly powerful computers, this dream has become a reality. The Virtual Orchestra is a collection of real-life orchestral sounds which can be played using a digital keyboard and computer. The collection is composed of some professional sound libraries, as well as some custom-designed samples, and even a few freeware sounds tracked down via the internet. It is the intention of the artist to provide an ultra-realistic listening experience through technology. It is in no way intended to replace the living, breathing orchestra performers, but rather to create powerful, realistic music of its own merit.

Absolutely!

Stephan Carroll is a contemporary classical artist who has been playing the piano for nearly 20 years. At age 5, Stephan began playing simple songs by ear and was enrolled in piano lessons. For over ten years he studied a wide variety of styles, ranging from classical to jazz to new age and contemporary. Around age 10, he began composing simple piano solos, then eventually moved on to more complex compositions using digital synthesizers and MIDI devices. By age 18, he had begun to record rudimentary orchestral arrangements.

Although he has played piano for nearly 20 years, he has had no formal music education outside of piano lessons. He has not studied composition or classical orchestration techniques. Rather, he has spent the last several years listening to a wide range of orchestral music and learning to recreate various styles on his own. The results of this self-taught methodology speak for themselves.

In terms of strictly classical music - Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Gustav Holst, Antonin Dvorak. Contemporary orchestral composers - John Williams, James Horner, Jerry Goldsmith.

Alesis QS6.1, Behringer Eurorack MX-2004a, Edirol MA-10D Monitor Speakers, Kurzweil PC1X, Roland JV-1010, Tascam US-224 Control Surface, Pentium IV 2.4ghz Computer with 1GB Ram, over 300GB hard drive space, DVD+RW writer, 2 M-Audio Audiophile 2496 sound cards, Gigastudio, Steinburg Nuendo

For more information visit the artist website at http://www.stephancarroll.com