John Bucchino (born 1952) is an American songwriter of both lyrics and music, an accompanist, a cabaret performer, and a teacher. He has been called "super-talented".[1] Stephen Schwartz said his songs have "insightful lyrics and gorgeous melodies", "rich harmonic textures and subtle…inner voicings." His music has "beautiful intricacies."[2]: 5
Bucchino was born in South Philadelphia, son of an accountant; his family moved to Palm Springs, California when he was 12. He started writing songs in high school. After college he moved to Los Angeles.[3] He never had music lessons of any sort. He does not read music,[2]: 6 and he taught himself to play the piano by ear.[4]
Bucchino did not seek out a career as songwriter for musicals; he "wanted to be a singer/songwriter/piano player ala Billy Joel or Elton John or Joni Mitchell".[3] Bucchino has been an accompanist for Holly Near starting in the mid 1980s,[5][6][7] and for the Australian singer David Campbell.
"He composes at the piano and makes cassette tapes which he gives to friends. For years, those amateur Bucchino tapes have been legendary among insiders in the music business, as singers and song-writers passed them around to each other with words of glowing praise."[4] This was how he came to the attention of both Stephen Sondheim and Stephen Schwartz.[8] Schwartz called him in 1987 and suggested he write for the theater.[9] Bucchino relocated to New York in 1992. He has at times struggled; he was reported in 2000 as playing the piano in office-building lobbies at lunchtime.[10]
Bucchino has been featured in Broadway revues and concerts, including Lincoln Center's American Songbook series,[11] and given highly acclaimed concerts at venues such as Birdland, The Duplex, and The Hollywood Bowl.[12]
Listed here are recordings consisting completely of Bucchino songs.
In addition to the performers on the above recordings, the following have performed and/or recorded at least one John Bucchino song: Michael Callen, The Flirtations, Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Boston Gay Men's Chorus, the Turtle Creek Chorale, the Boston Pops, and a long list of others.[35][36] Venues have included Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Opera House, the Hollywood Bowl, the Kennedy Center, the Sydney Opera House, London's O2 Arena, and the White House.[33]
This list is limited to albums on which Bucchino is the only accompanist.
In 1993, Bucchino served as musical director of Holly Near: Fire in the Rain.[37] He wrote the songs (music and lyrics) for the DreamWorks picture, Joseph: King of Dreams (2000), produced and orchestrated by Daniel Pelfrey. The film won a Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence and Bucchino's Better Than I won the 2001 Video Premiere Award for Best Song at the DVD Exclusive Awards. Bucchino wrote the lyrics for the children's musical adaptation of Simeon's Gift, a book by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton. The work, with a score by Ian Fraser, was performed by the Louisville Orchestra in 2008 conducted by Fraser, with costumed vocalists and Ms. Andrews as "storyteller."[38] As part of their Julie Andrews Collection, HarperCollins published a children's book titled Grateful, A Song of Giving Thanks (based on Bucchino's song/album Grateful), which was awarded the Parents’ Choice Gold Award. In 2010, Bucchino was commissioned by Danish producer Søren Møller to compose the music and lyrics for the musical Esaura, with a book by Mads Æbeløe Nielsen.[39]
In January 2016, Bucchino's It’s Only Life premiered in Paris, France, performed in concert version by American Musical Theatre Live in the presence of the composer.[40]
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1995? | "Out Song" award, from the Gay and Lesbian American Music Awards (GLAMA) | For the song "Do Not Turn Away", from Winter Song.[41] |
| 1997 | Johnny Mercer Songwriter Award | |
| 1998 | Songwriters' Fellowship Award | |
| 1998 | ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award | |
| 2000 | Second Stage Constance Klinsky Award | |
| 2000 | Gilman & Gonzalez-Falla Commendation Award | |
| 2001 | Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation | |
| 2001 | Kleban Awards | |
| 2005 | Fred Ebb Award for aspiring musical-theater songwriters | Had 391 applicants and carried a prize of $50,000.[18][30][42] |
| 2008 | Drama Desk Award Nominee for Outstanding Lyrics | A Catered Affair [nominee][43] |
| 2008 | Drama Desk Award Nominee for Outstanding Music | A Catered Affair [nominee][43] |
| 2010? | Group award, from the Gay and Lesbian American Music Awards (GLAMA) | Shared award with Michael Callin, Holly Near, Cris Williamson, and Arnold McCuller, for the song "They Are Falling All Around Me," from the album Legacy.[41] |
Bucchino has given master classes in performance of his songs at numerous universities and conservatories in the U.S. and abroad, including DeSales University, Yale University, Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Indiana University, Carnegie Mellon University, London's Royal Academy of Music, the Danish Musical Theatre Academy in Fredericia, Denmark, NASDA (National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Arts) in Christchurch, New Zealand, WAAPA (Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts) in Perth, Australia, the Victoria College of the Arts in Melbourne, Australia, the Queensland Conservatorium of Music (Musical Theatre) in Brisbane, Australia, and the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney, Australia. In January 2016, he gave a master class in France with the Paris-based American Musical Theatre Live.[44]
