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Press Releases
Enterprising Young Composer Founds Sheet Music Publishing House
Polonius Sheet Music
CONTACT: Celina Guerrero 347-277-5162 marketing@poloniussheetmusic.com http://www.poloniussheetmusic.com
For Immediate Release
Enterprising Young Composer Founds Sheet Music Publishing House with a Twist
Highland Park, NJ -- January 25, 2012 – Twenty-five year-old composer-turned-entrepreneur Tristan D’Agosta founded publishing house Polonius Sheet Music in 2010 to provide scores of high paper quality and print contrast, with the additional feature of spiral binding, which allows the score to lie flat when opened to any page.
When reading from works such as operatic vocal scores or the collected Beethoven piano sonatas, D'Agosta says he would grow frustrated.
“I can’t say how many times I’ve almost thrown a book across the room because it wouldn’t stay open on the piano," he says, "or the pages started falling out because I had to bend back the binding too many times.”
Having known many fellow musicians who rebound their own music, D'Agosta set about providing a selection of sheet music editions that addresses the issue. Because Polonius publishes all of its works with spiral binding, performers who want their scores to stay open to a particular page no longer have to damage and potentially weaken the binding.
Musicians are typically willing to invest in higher quality products because of their inherent longevity. Since its founding, Polonius Sheet Music has been rewarded with an exponential growth in sales, in large part due to a focus on quality as well as convenience. The company's edition of Hanon's The Virtuoso Pianist is currently a top seller, followed closely in popularity by the first volume of the Beethoven piano sonatas.
As the latest in a long line of dissatisfied composers before him, D’Agosta is doing his part to improve and expand the classical sheet music business to satisfy a new generation of musicians. History has shown that it was often composers who first brought about innovations in the sheet music industry. In the late 18th Century, German composer Franz Anton Hoffmeister founded a publishing house to print his own compositions, as well as those of his friends, which included Mozart and Haydn. His company eventually became what is known today as C.F. Peters.
In the last century, composers Harold and Everett Edstrom, along with Roger Busdicker, founded the well-known firm Hal Leonard Publishing in Winona, Minnesota. Their extensive professional experience as dance band performers informed their decision to license and arrange popular songs, and they quickly discovered that there was a demand for these types of arrangements from school bands. Since educators at the time had virtually nothing to choose from in the area of popular band arrangements, these composers-turned- entrepreneurs addressed a real need in the musical community and changed the publishing business in the process.
D’Agosta has further plans for Polonius. “I intend to start offering new engravings and arrangements of works. In particular, there are a lot of full scores that just are not available in decent editions. It will be a fine day when I can offer an 11x17 newly engraved conductor’s score of La Rondine, complete with parts.
“As for arrangements, I have long been dissatisfied with certain piano arrangements of classical music. Most of them are just plain bad, and there are practically none that don’t leave out a great deal. I wrote an arrangement of the Pachelbel Canon in D for advanced piano that I believe is an example of the sort of thing unavailable elsewhere.”
In addition to its current selection of sheet music, the company offers a custom ordering service. Compositions that happen to be in the public domain can be reproduced with the same print quality, paper stock, and spiral binding as works already in the Polonius catalog. Requests can be sent to Polonius via the company website and the prospective customer will receive price and ordering information. Custom compilations can also be created, allowing the buyer to choose only those musical selections that are needed, while omitting those that are not needed. And despite the quality of materials and service, custom ordering editions from Polonius Sheet Music is a less expensive alternative to reproducing sheet music at a copy service.
D'Agosta himself remarks, "If you can get a custom sheet music book printed for prices anywhere near this good, even on inferior paper, I would love to know about it."
About Tristan D'Agosta
At a time when music schools are impressing on graduates the critical importance of entrepreneurial skills, D’Agosta's publishing venture stands out as a successful marriage of artistic proficiency with business savvy. Born into a family of intellectuals in the small fishing village of Jonesport, Maine, he naturally gravitated towards music studies. A graduate of Rutgers University with a BA in Music, D'Agosta maintains an independent spirit as a working composer and entrepreneur.
For additional press information about Polonius Sheet Music, please contact:
Celina Guerrero 347-277-5162 marketing@poloniussheetmusic.com http://www.poloniussheetmusic.com
CONTACT: Celina Guerrero 347-277-5162 marketing@poloniussheetmusic.com http://www.poloniussheetmusic.com
For Immediate Release
Enterprising Young Composer Founds Sheet Music Publishing House with a Twist
Highland Park, NJ -- January 25, 2012 – Twenty-five year-old composer-turned-entrepreneur Tristan D’Agosta founded publishing house Polonius Sheet Music in 2010 to provide scores of high paper quality and print contrast, with the additional feature of spiral binding, which allows the score to lie flat when opened to any page.
When reading from works such as operatic vocal scores or the collected Beethoven piano sonatas, D'Agosta says he would grow frustrated.
“I can’t say how many times I’ve almost thrown a book across the room because it wouldn’t stay open on the piano," he says, "or the pages started falling out because I had to bend back the binding too many times.”
Having known many fellow musicians who rebound their own music, D'Agosta set about providing a selection of sheet music editions that addresses the issue. Because Polonius publishes all of its works with spiral binding, performers who want their scores to stay open to a particular page no longer have to damage and potentially weaken the binding.
Musicians are typically willing to invest in higher quality products because of their inherent longevity. Since its founding, Polonius Sheet Music has been rewarded with an exponential growth in sales, in large part due to a focus on quality as well as convenience. The company's edition of Hanon's The Virtuoso Pianist is currently a top seller, followed closely in popularity by the first volume of the Beethoven piano sonatas.
As the latest in a long line of dissatisfied composers before him, D’Agosta is doing his part to improve and expand the classical sheet music business to satisfy a new generation of musicians. History has shown that it was often composers who first brought about innovations in the sheet music industry. In the late 18th Century, German composer Franz Anton Hoffmeister founded a publishing house to print his own compositions, as well as those of his friends, which included Mozart and Haydn. His company eventually became what is known today as C.F. Peters.
In the last century, composers Harold and Everett Edstrom, along with Roger Busdicker, founded the well-known firm Hal Leonard Publishing in Winona, Minnesota. Their extensive professional experience as dance band performers informed their decision to license and arrange popular songs, and they quickly discovered that there was a demand for these types of arrangements from school bands. Since educators at the time had virtually nothing to choose from in the area of popular band arrangements, these composers-turned- entrepreneurs addressed a real need in the musical community and changed the publishing business in the process.
D’Agosta has further plans for Polonius. “I intend to start offering new engravings and arrangements of works. In particular, there are a lot of full scores that just are not available in decent editions. It will be a fine day when I can offer an 11x17 newly engraved conductor’s score of La Rondine, complete with parts.
“As for arrangements, I have long been dissatisfied with certain piano arrangements of classical music. Most of them are just plain bad, and there are practically none that don’t leave out a great deal. I wrote an arrangement of the Pachelbel Canon in D for advanced piano that I believe is an example of the sort of thing unavailable elsewhere.”
In addition to its current selection of sheet music, the company offers a custom ordering service. Compositions that happen to be in the public domain can be reproduced with the same print quality, paper stock, and spiral binding as works already in the Polonius catalog. Requests can be sent to Polonius via the company website and the prospective customer will receive price and ordering information. Custom compilations can also be created, allowing the buyer to choose only those musical selections that are needed, while omitting those that are not needed. And despite the quality of materials and service, custom ordering editions from Polonius Sheet Music is a less expensive alternative to reproducing sheet music at a copy service.
D'Agosta himself remarks, "If you can get a custom sheet music book printed for prices anywhere near this good, even on inferior paper, I would love to know about it."
About Tristan D'Agosta
At a time when music schools are impressing on graduates the critical importance of entrepreneurial skills, D’Agosta's publishing venture stands out as a successful marriage of artistic proficiency with business savvy. Born into a family of intellectuals in the small fishing village of Jonesport, Maine, he naturally gravitated towards music studies. A graduate of Rutgers University with a BA in Music, D'Agosta maintains an independent spirit as a working composer and entrepreneur.
For additional press information about Polonius Sheet Music, please contact:
Celina Guerrero 347-277-5162 marketing@poloniussheetmusic.com http://www.poloniussheetmusic.com
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