Natalia Paruz
Encyclopedia
Natalia 'Saw Lady' Paruz is a New York City
-based musical saw
and novelty instruments player and busker
. She is the founder and director of the annual Musical Saw Festival in New York City. She also organized the musical saw festival in Israel
. She is a columnist of the 'Saw Player News' and a judge at international musical saw competitions.
Paruz has played the musical saw on many film soundtracks and can be seen as well as heard in the movie Dummy
starring Adrien Brody
. She has performed with orchestras such as the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
(conducted by Zubin Mehta
), the Westchester Philharmonic, the Royal Air Moroccan Symphony Orchestra, the Amor Artis Orchestra, the Riverside Orchestra, the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra
and at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall with PDQ Bach composer Peter Schickele
and with the Little Orchestra Society. November 2007 marked her Carnegie Hall
debut as a musical saw soloist and June 2008 marked her Madison Square Garden
debut.
Her musical saw can be heard in many TV commercials and she has appeared on numerous TV and radio programs around the world. Garrison Keillor
of the Prairie Home Companion radio show has dubbed Natalia the show's 'official saw player'.
As a studio musician, her musical saw has been recorded by labels such as Atlantic Records, Capitol Records and Universal Records, for albums of bands and composers such as John Hiatt.
She played at many festivals, such as the Spoleto Festival USA
, the Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors Festival, Utah Arts Festival, World Trade Center's Buskers Fair and at the Fingerlakes Chamber Music Festival.
Paruz often plays the musical saw in contemporary music, encouraging today's composers to write for this instrument.
Paruz is considered the most knowledgeable about the history of the musical saw, and her home is a pilgrimage place for saw enthusiasts and students.
Along with her professional career Paruz makes a point to also perform on the streets and subways as a busker. She has busked in the USA, Italy
, Israel, Czech Republic
, Poland and France
. Paruz also served as a judge at the Music Under New York auditions for subway musicians.
Paruz also plays a set of 65 pitched cowbells, English handbells, 4-in-hand hand bells, theremin
and glass harp
.
She was chosen for the 'Best of New York' list of the 'Village Voice' two years in a row, as well as for the lists of 'Time Out New York', the 'New York Press
' and the 'New York Resident'.
Paruz is a recipient of grants from the Queens Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
and New York State Council on the Arts
.
In 2009 Paruz organized the Guinness World Record of the 'Largest Musical Saw Ensemble', which gathered 53 musical saw players to perform together.
In 2010 NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg
issued a proclamation honoring the annual Musical Saw Festival Natalia organizes since 2003.
In 2011 NY State Assembly member Aravella Simotas issued a citation of honor proclaiming the NYC Musical Saw Festival for its "9 years of artistic excellence in Astoria".
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-based musical saw
Musical saw
A musical saw, also called a singing saw, is the application of a hand saw as a musical instrument. The sound creates an ethereal tone, very similar to the theremin...
and novelty instruments player and busker
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
. She is the founder and director of the annual Musical Saw Festival in New York City. She also organized the musical saw festival in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. She is a columnist of the 'Saw Player News' and a judge at international musical saw competitions.
Paruz has played the musical saw on many film soundtracks and can be seen as well as heard in the movie Dummy
Dummy (film)
Dummy is a 2002 comedy-drama film written and directed by Greg Pritikin. It stars Adrien Brody, Milla Jovovich, Illeana Douglas, Vera Farmiga and Jared Harris. It was released to home media by Lionsgate Home Entertainment on February 17, 2004....
starring Adrien Brody
Adrien Brody
Adrien Brody is an American actor and film producer. He received widespread recognition and acclaim after starring in Roman Polanski's The Pianist . Winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2003 at age 29, he is the youngest actor to do so...
. She has performed with orchestras such as the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is the leading symphony orchestra in Israel. It was originally known as the Palestine Orchestra, and in Hebrew as התזמורת הסימפונית הארץ ישראלית The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית, ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit...
(conducted by Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta is an Indian conductor of western classical music. He is the Music Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.-Biography:...
), the Westchester Philharmonic, the Royal Air Moroccan Symphony Orchestra, the Amor Artis Orchestra, the Riverside Orchestra, the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra
Manhattan Chamber Orchestra
The Manhattan Chamber Orchestra is a chamber orchestra based in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States.The orchestra was founded in 1987 by its artistic director and conductor, Richard Auldon Clark. It performs music of all genres with a special focus on contemporary music by American...
and at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall with PDQ Bach composer Peter Schickele
Peter Schickele
Johann Peter Schickele is an American composer, musical educator, and parodist. He is best known for his comedy music albums featuring his music that he presents as music written by the fictional composer P. D. Q...
and with the Little Orchestra Society. November 2007 marked her Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
debut as a musical saw soloist and June 2008 marked her Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
debut.
Her musical saw can be heard in many TV commercials and she has appeared on numerous TV and radio programs around the world. Garrison Keillor
Garrison Keillor
Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor is an American author, storyteller, humorist, and radio personality. He is known as host of the Minnesota Public Radio show A Prairie Home Companion Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (born August 7, 1942) is an American author, storyteller, humorist, and radio...
of the Prairie Home Companion radio show has dubbed Natalia the show's 'official saw player'.
As a studio musician, her musical saw has been recorded by labels such as Atlantic Records, Capitol Records and Universal Records, for albums of bands and composers such as John Hiatt.
She played at many festivals, such as the Spoleto Festival USA
Spoleto Festival USA
Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina, is one of the world's major performing arts festivals. It was founded in 1977 by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gian Carlo Menotti, who sought to establish a counterpart to the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy...
, the Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors Festival, Utah Arts Festival, World Trade Center's Buskers Fair and at the Fingerlakes Chamber Music Festival.
Paruz often plays the musical saw in contemporary music, encouraging today's composers to write for this instrument.
Paruz is considered the most knowledgeable about the history of the musical saw, and her home is a pilgrimage place for saw enthusiasts and students.
Along with her professional career Paruz makes a point to also perform on the streets and subways as a busker. She has busked in the USA, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Israel, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Poland and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Paruz also served as a judge at the Music Under New York auditions for subway musicians.
Paruz also plays a set of 65 pitched cowbells, English handbells, 4-in-hand hand bells, theremin
Theremin
The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
and glass harp
Glass harp
A glass harp is an instrument made of upright wine glasses....
.
Awards and honors
Paruz is a recipient of many awards, including:- a citation of honor from the New York City CouncilNew York City CouncilThe New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
- a citation of honor from the New York State SenateNew York State SenateThe New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...
- a medal of honor from Paris, France.
She was chosen for the 'Best of New York' list of the 'Village Voice' two years in a row, as well as for the lists of 'Time Out New York', the 'New York Press
New York Press
New York Press was a free alternative weekly in New York City, that was published from 1988 to 2011. During its lifetime, it was the main competitor to the Village Voice...
' and the 'New York Resident'.
Paruz is a recipient of grants from the Queens Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs is dedicated to supporting and strengthening New York City's vibrant cultural life. Among their primary missions is to ensure adequate public funding for non-profit cultural organizations, both large and small, throughout the five boroughs.-External...
and New York State Council on the Arts
New York State Council on the Arts
The New York State Council on the Arts is an arts council serving the U.S. state of New York. It was established in 1960 through a bill introduced in the New York State Legislature by New York State Senator MacNeil Mitchell , with backing from Governor Nelson Rockefeller, and began its work in 1961...
.
In 2009 Paruz organized the Guinness World Record of the 'Largest Musical Saw Ensemble', which gathered 53 musical saw players to perform together.
In 2010 NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
issued a proclamation honoring the annual Musical Saw Festival Natalia organizes since 2003.
In 2011 NY State Assembly member Aravella Simotas issued a citation of honor proclaiming the NYC Musical Saw Festival for its "9 years of artistic excellence in Astoria".
Books mentioning Paruz
- 'City Lights: Stories About New York'/St. Martin's Press
- 'New York Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff'/Globe Pequot
- '120 Jobs that Won't Chain You to Your Desk'/Random House
- 'The Savvy Musician'/Helius Press
- 'Overlooked New York'/Zina Saunders
- 'Sounds of the Underground'/Heidi Younger
- 'Teach a Man to Fish and Other Stories'/Richard A. Schrader, Sr.
- Book in Czech - 'Zápisky osamělého poutníka s autoharfou'/Martin Žák
- The Designs of Carrie Robbins/The United States Institute for Theatre Technology in cooperation with Broadway Press
- Buskers/Soft Skull Press
Movie soundtracks with musical saw by Paruz
- Dummy, directed by Greg Pritikin (2002)
- El Carnaval de Sodoma, directed by Arturo Ripstein (Mexico, 2006)
- I Sell the Dead, directed by Glenn McQuaid (2008)
- American Carny, directed by Nick Basile (2008)
- The Heart Is a Drum Machine, directed by Christopher Pomerenke (2009)
- Another Earth, directed by Mike Cahill (2011)
External links
- Natalia 'Saw Lady' Paruz's website - sound samples, CDs and Downloads, composers manual, history, saws manufactured for music, musical saw memorabilia, poetry - all about the musical saw
- Natalia's musical saw CDs
- The annual NYC Musical Saw Festival, founded & directed by Natalia
- A documentary film about Natalia
- a video clip of Natalia playing the musical saw in Times Square
- Natalia's blog about busking
- An article about Natalia and the musical saw from a violinist's perspective.