Pianist, composer, and arranger Tom Roberts talks about his original score for the silent film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, written in 2022 for the Pittsburgh Silent Film Society's celebration of the film's 100th anniversary. He provided a backdrop to his eclectic career, telling stories about touring with Leon Redbone, playing in jazz clubs while living in New Orleans, and transcribing music from famous stride pianist Lucky Roberts.

Tom describes the inspiration behind his Nosferatu score and plays excerpts of a few tracks. He used the music to immerse viewers, contrasting the film’s dark visuals with elegant, beautiful sounds to cultivate suspense and horror.

You can buy Tom’s score as a CD, or get a blood-red vinyl LP, at tomrobertspiano.com. Tom is also booking private screenings of Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. Contact him through his website to schedule yours.

Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene.

Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. 

Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.