Stephen Tirpak
Encyclopedia
Stephen Tirpak is a musician, composer, arranger and performer from the Philadelphia area. He is an accomplished pianist and trumpeter who has written, produced and recorded for a number of contemporary musicians including Erykah Badu
, P. Diddy, The Roots
, LL Cool J
, Will Smith
, Kanye West
, Estelle
, Luther Vandross
, R. Kelly
, Boyz II Men
, Vivian Green
, Notorious B.I.G, Gerald Levert
, Mindi Abair
, Kindred, Young Gunz
and Jay Z.
Stephen is currently the horn section leader and arranger for the John Legend
band performing trumpet and trombone since 2007. He is well versed in a variety of musical genres including: Jazz, R&B, Classical, Salsa, Bosa nova, Hip-Hop and Gospel.
. He traveled internationally performing at the esteemed Carnegie Hall and down under at the Sydney Australia Opera House. A native of Edgewater Park NJ, Stephen’s parents are also professional musicians and music teachers. Through their encouragement, as a young man Stephen studied the violin, drums, piano, trumpet, trombone, flugalbone, and tuba. He further crafted his talent attending the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, home to such revered luminaries as Boyz II Men
. He was mentored in horn arrangements and production from Larry Gold at “The Studio” in Philadelphia. Stephen graduated from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia in 2004 with a Bachelor’s Degree in music composition.
FM radio station in South jersey, WPRB
FM Princeton University, and was featured on the cover of the national quarterly music publication "R&B Showcase Magazine." Presently Stephen is on the John Legend Evolver World Tour as horn arranger and trombonist.
Who Cares? (2006)
Musician Credits
Soundtracks
Robots
Motion Picture Soundtrack (2005)
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
, P. Diddy, The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
, LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
, Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
, Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, Estelle
Estelle (musician)
Estelle Fanta Swaray commonly known as Estelle, and formerly as Est'elle, is an English R&B singer-songwriter, rapper and record producer.-Early Life:Estelle was born 18 January 1980 in Hammersmith, London, England...
, Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
, R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
, Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
, Vivian Green
Vivian Green
Vivian Green is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter and pianist.-Early life:Green was born May 22, 1979 in the East Oak Lane neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and took an interest in singing, playing the piano, and songwriting at a very young age. At the age of thirteen, she...
, Notorious B.I.G, Gerald Levert
Gerald Levert
Gerald Levert was an American R&B singer. Gerald Levert sang with his brother, Sean Levert, and friend Marc Gordon in the R&B trio LeVert. He was also a part of LSG, an R&B supergroup comprising Keith Sweat, Johnny Gill, and Levert...
, Mindi Abair
Mindi Abair
Mindi Abair is an American smooth jazz saxophonist with a strong Top-40 pop music background. Mindi has toured and/or recorded with the Backstreet Boys, Duran Duran, Mandy Moore, Josh Groban, Adam Sandler, Keb' Mo', Lalah Hathaway, Lee Ritenour, Teena Marie, John Tesh, Bobby Lyle, Jonathan Butler,...
, Kindred, Young Gunz
Young Gunz
The Young Gunz is an American rap duo from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania composed of Young Chris and Neef Buck . The group is part of Beanie Sigel's State Property collective and was signed to Roc-A-Fella Records...
and Jay Z.
Stephen is currently the horn section leader and arranger for the John Legend
John Legend
John Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
band performing trumpet and trombone since 2007. He is well versed in a variety of musical genres including: Jazz, R&B, Classical, Salsa, Bosa nova, Hip-Hop and Gospel.
Tirpak Musical Heritage
A fourth generation musician Stephen honed his skills at an early age singing in the Philadelphia Boys Choir & ChoralePhiladelphia Boys Choir & Chorale
Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale is a boys' choir and mens chorale based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, currently under the direction of Jeffery R. Smith. They are known as "America's Ambassadors of Song" and are considered to be one of the best boys choirs in the world...
. He traveled internationally performing at the esteemed Carnegie Hall and down under at the Sydney Australia Opera House. A native of Edgewater Park NJ, Stephen’s parents are also professional musicians and music teachers. Through their encouragement, as a young man Stephen studied the violin, drums, piano, trumpet, trombone, flugalbone, and tuba. He further crafted his talent attending the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, home to such revered luminaries as Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
. He was mentored in horn arrangements and production from Larry Gold at “The Studio” in Philadelphia. Stephen graduated from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia in 2004 with a Bachelor’s Degree in music composition.
Projects
In addition to performing, Stephen is a music instructor at the family’s Tirpak Music School in South Jersey. He teaches piano, drums, guitar and all the winds. Stephen also produces for local and national acts including R&B/Jazz recording artist Marilyn Marshall, and his own Stephen Tirpak Ensemble. His current album “Who Cares” features a host of premier and legendary Jazz performers including Eric Wortham, Ross Bellenoit, Adam Blackstone, Joe Truglio, Aaron Marisis, Cheryl Tirpak, and Orlando Haddad. The album is being featured on Smooth Jazz internet and terrestrial radio stations and College radio programs nationally. Stephen was recently interviewed on WBZCWBZC
WBZC is a radio station broadcasting a rhythmic contemporary hit format, licensed to Pemberton, New Jersey, USA. The station serves the Burlington County area...
FM radio station in South jersey, WPRB
WPRB
WPRB is a commercial broadcasting, non-profit 14,000 watt college radio station, once part of Princeton University, broadcasting from Princeton, New Jersey. The majority of on-air and management staff consists of Princeton University students, in addition to a board of trustees comprising...
FM Princeton University, and was featured on the cover of the national quarterly music publication "R&B Showcase Magazine." Presently Stephen is on the John Legend Evolver World Tour as horn arranger and trombonist.
Discography
Stephen Tirpak AlbumsWho Cares? (2006)
Musician Credits
- Lost and Found (Will Smith album) Will Smith
- Happy People/U Saved MeHappy People/U Saved MeHappy People/U Saved Me is the sixth studio album and the second double album by R&B singer R. Kelly, where he mixed feel-good danceable soul records with gospel anthems . Released in 2004, it peaked at #2 on the pop albums chart and went on to be certified three times Platinum. This is R. Kelly's...
R. Kelly - Throwback, Vol. 1Throwback, Vol. 1Throwback, Vol. 1 is a 2004 covers album by R&B group Boyz II Men, released by Koch Records, and featuring covers of classic R&B songs from such artists as Teddy Pendergrass, The Isley Brothers and Michael Jackson...
Boyz II Men - So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther VandrossSo Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther VandrossSo Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross is a tribute album to the late soul legend Luther Vandross, consisting of cover versions of past songs by Vandross and other artists, recorded by several R&B and/or soul singers, in addition to rapper Wyclef Jean and pop singers Elton John and...
(2005) - Double Up (R. Kelly album)Double Up (R. Kelly album)Double Up is the eighth studio album by R&B singer R. Kelly, released on May 29, 2007. The first single off the album, "I'm a Flirt Remix", which features T.I., and T-Pain, attained prominence on the Billboard Top 40 charts, peaking at #1 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart.The album features guest...
- Get LiftedGet LiftedGet Lifted is the debut studio album of American singer John Legend, released via Kanye West's GOOD Music label on December 28, 2004 in the United States. Featuring production by West, John Legend, Dave Tozer and Will.i.am, the album sold over three million units worldwide, with a total of 2.1...
(2004) - Once AgainOnce Again (John Legend album)Once Again is the second studio album by American singer John Legend, issued by GOOD Music and Sony Music Entertainment on October 24, 2006...
(2006) - New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)New Amerykah Part One is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Erykah Badu, released February 26, 2008, on Universal Motown. It follows her 2003 album Worldwide Underground and a hiatus from recording music...
(2008) - EvolverEvolver (John Legend album)Evolver is the third studio album by R&B/soul singer John Legend, released by GOOD Music and Columbia Records on October 28, 2008 in the United States and on October 20 in the United Kingdom. It features guest appearances by Kanye West, Brandy, Estelle and Andre 3000, among others.The album debuted...
(2008)
Soundtracks
Robots
Robots (film)
Robots is a 2005 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios for 20th Century Fox, and was released theatrically on March 11, 2005. The story was created by Chris Wedge and William Joyce, a children's book author/illustrator. The two were trying to create a film version of...
Motion Picture Soundtrack (2005)