Champion whistler to perform with Edgewood Symphony
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Sean Lomax, world champion whistler, rehearses for a solo performance with the Edgewood Symthony.
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At a concert of the Edgewood Symphony Orchestra on Saturday night, Sean Lomax will demonstrate the musical talent for which he has twice been named an international grand champion.
Mr. Lomax, 49, of Braddock isn't a singer and won't be playing an instrument. Instead, he will perform three classical numbers using a skill he describes as "a lost art" -- whistling.
The concert -- "Around the World in 80 Minutes" -- will begin at 7:30 at Woodland Hills Junior High School, Swissvale,
Performed by: Edgewood Symphony Orchestra
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Woodland Hills Junior High School auditorium, 7600 Evans St., Swissvale
Tickets: $12, $8 seniors and students, free for children younger than 12. For more information, call 412-473-8880.
Some who are unfamiliar with the musical pedigree of whistling are skeptical at first, Mr. Lomax said.
"But they change their tune when they hear what I can do."
Mr. Lomax commands a three-octave range and has toured with Cirque du Soleil's "Corteo" show. He also has made numerous appearances around the world.
Whistling achieved its greatest popularity in America during the Big Band era of the 1930s and '40s. Mr. Lomax noted it was normal for bands of that time to keep a paid whistler on call.
He said it was especially gratifying for him to perform for older music fans who remember songs such as bandleader Ted Weems' "Heartaches," in which a whistling solo figured prominently.
While growing up in Braddock, Mr. Lomax said he was known -- and sometimes teased -- as "that guy who's always whistling."
When he left the Pittsburgh area at 18 to join the U.S. Navy and serve on a submarine, he said he met many people who suggested he compete at the annual International Whistlers Convention.
"But no one ever knew where it was held," he said.
When he did make his first appearance at the competition, in 1985, he was unfamiliar with the rules and was disqualified for going over the time allotted.
But he received a standing ovation.
"I chose to whistle Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue,'?" he said. "Everyone else was doing stuff like 'Chattanooga Choo Choo,' so I caused quite a scandal."
He won the title of International Whistling Grand Champion in 1988 and 1992, and 2009 Entertainer of the Year.
Touring with Cirque du Soleil has been the high point of his whistling career, Mr. Lomax said.
In 2004, after seeing him in several television appearances, Cirque du Soleil's management asked him to audition in Las Vegas. He premiered in "Corteo," in which he had a leading role, in April 2005.
"After that, there was no going back," said Mr. Lomax, who quit his job as a network control technician in 2005 to focus on whistling full time.
In addition to TV and public appearances, Mr. Lomax performs at private parties and frequently tours with Carnival Cruise Line, performing and teaching whistling techniques.
Those not familiar with whistling may be surprised by what he goes through to prepare for a major performance, Mr. Lomax said.
"First, I have to learn to breathe the piece," he said.
To keep the melody unbroken, he must whistle while breathing out as well as in, without running out of air at mid-tune.
"To keep in shape, every few days I will whistle something challenging, like all four movements of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony or Hummel's Trumpet Concerto."
Mr. Lomax said that in contrast to many popular whistlers -- who use a fast, staccato style -- he has a melodic style, using his sound "more as a voice than as an instrument."
The three pieces he will perform with the Edgewood Symphony include two usually performed by singers and one by trumpet: "O Sole Mio," "Return to Sorrento" and Leroy Anderson's "A Trumpeter's Lullaby."
Mr. Lomax said that in the music world, nothing is ever sure, so he can't be definite about some exciting upcoming performances.
"But let's just say I might be appearing on a nationally syndicated talent show," he said. "And I might be giving a concert in Chicago in June."
Mr. Lomax said that while being a professional whistler can be unpredictable, he enjoys traveling, meeting new people and using the unusual gift he's developed.
"It's not your usual career," he said. "But I really love bringing whistling back to the people who remember it, and to people who are hearing it for the first time."
For more information on Mr. Lomax, go to www.whistleon.com.
First Published May 7, 2009 12:00 am
