Joseph Alfidi

Joseph Alfidi (May 28, 1949 – February 2, 2015) was an American pianist, composer, and conductor and initially a child prodigy. He was born in Yonkers, New York, as the son of American-born parents of Italian descent. His father, Frank Alfidi, was an accordion player who ran a music school in Yonkers. Known as “Joey” in his childhood, he was three when he started to play several instruments in his father’s studio. By the age of four, he frequently improvised little compositions at the piano, and soon became fascinated by symphonic music as well. Biography At the age of six, he had professional engagements to conduct the Miami Symphony Orchestra in Florida and members of the New York Philharmonic on Long Island. On November 18, 1956, the seven-year-old appeared in Carnegie Hall, conducting the Symphony of the Air. The ambitious program included two overtures, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and Rossini’s William Tell, as well as Haydn’s “Surprise” Symphony and Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. He appeared on two CBS Television Network Goodson-Todman produced game-shows. On November 14, 1956, he was a guest on I’ve Got a Secret starring Garry Moore where he performed on four different instru