Mike Cirillo About Page image
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I was born July 21, 1971.
I am a native of Tempe, Arizona.
I have lived here all my life.

Mike Cirillo About page image

I started playing the violin at age four and by twelve was gigging several nights a week.

Mike Cirillo 1976
June 1976

During my sophomore year of high school I joined Igor's Cowboy Jazz Band.
We spent the next two years performing all over America.

Mike Cirillo Violin Horns and Banjo
violin, horns and banjo
Mike Cirillo band on break
the band on break
Mike Cirillo Plane to San Juan Islands
to the San Juan Islands
Mike Cirillo Sacramento Jazz Festival
Sacramento Jazz Festival
Mike Cirillo photo taken in Guadalupe
photo taken in Guadalupe
I am on banjo
Mike Cirillo St Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg Times
September 3, 1988
Mike Cirillo Igor publicity photo
publicity photo
Mike Cirillo Sacramento Jazz Festival
Sacramento Jazz Festival
Mike Cirillo Sacramento Jazz Festival
Sacramento California Jazz Festival

In 1990, when I was nineteen, I won the Official Arizona State Fiddle Championship.
I also won the Young Adult Division Championship and the State Guitar Accompanist Championship.

Mike Cirillo Arizona State Fiddle Champion Award
Arizona State Grand Fiddle Champion 1990
Mike Cirillo Arizona State Fiddle Champion Award
Arizona State Fiddle Champion
Young Adult Division 1990
Mike Cirillo Arizona State Guitar Champion Award
State Guitar Accompanist Champion 1990
Mike Cirillo Tempe Tribune
Tempe Tribune December 19, 1990

In 1991 The Mike Cirillo Ensemble debuted at the Kerr Cultural Center in Scottsdale, Arizona.
I had several members of Glen Campbell's touring band perform with me.

Mike Cirillo Ensemble Poster 1991
Mike Cirillo Ensemble Poster 1991

When I was twenty I joined the house band of the Red River Music Hall.
I played fiddle, guitar, mandolin, bass, and sang.
I performed in this Branson-style show for nine years until the theater was sold.

Mike Cirillo Red River Opry
AZ #1 country music show
Mike Cirillo Red River Opry Christmas Show
Christmas show cast picture
Mike Cirillo Red River Opry publicity photo
RRO publicity photo
Mike Cirillo Red River Opry newspapaer article
I am singing bass in the middle
Mike Cirillo Red River Opry with J David Sloan
Me and Arizona icon, J David Sloan

I went to college and earned some degrees.

Mike Cirillo Master of Liberal Studies
Master of Liberal Studies (2006)
Arizona State University
Mike Cirillo Bachelor of Music in Theory and Composition
Bachelor of Music:
Theory and Composition (2003)
Arizona State University
Mike Cirillo Bachelor of Music in Jazz Violin
Bachelor of Music:
Jazz Violin Performance (2003)
Arizona State University
Mike Cirillo Associate of Arts
Associate of Arts (1998)
Mesa Community College

At ASU I was a founding member and arranger for the first Jazz String Quartet.
I was also a founding member and arranger for the first Django/Grappelli Ensemble.

By this time I had also performed and/or recorded with:
David Grisman, Johnny Frigo, Jerry Douglas, and Glen Campbell.

February 2004 I returned to the Kerr Cultural Center with a jazz violin show called 'Strings Attached'.

Mike Cirillo with Strings Attached
Strings Attached

The summers of 2004 and 2005 I toured with the Pat James Band in France, Italy, and Luxembourg.
We hubbed out of Paris, met many nice people, and had a great time.

Mike Cirillo Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
Mike Cirillo Europe performance
somewhere in Europe
Mike Cirillo Arizona Cafe
The Arizona Cafe in Paris
Mike Cirillo view from stage in Europe
view from stage
Mike Cirillo Berck performance
Berck performance
Mike Cirillo Berck
Berck
Mike Cirillo Berck Historical Center
Berck Historical Center
Mike Cirillo Paris rehearsal studio
Paris rehearsal studio
Mike Cirillo taking a bow in Europe
taking a bow
Mike Cirillo in Bourges France
Bourges, France
Mike Cirillo with French Country Music fan
a French country fan
Mike Cirillo in Vatical City
Vatican City
MIke Cirillo photo of The Alps
the Alps
Mike Cirillo Coliseum in Rome
Coliseum in Rome
Mike Cirillo Rodans The Thinker
Rodan's The Thinker
Mike Cirillo Monets Garden at Giverny
Monet's Garden at Giverny
MIke Cirillo view from Eiffel Tower
view from Eiffel Tower
Mike Cirillo in Venice
Venice
Mike Cirillo fiddling
Performing

In the November 17, 2005 issue of The Arizona Republic I was awarded the Rep's Best.

Mike Cirillo The Reps Best
cool award

In March 2010, April 2012, and April 2015, I taught a jazz violin workshop at ASU.
It was a lot of fun and I am pleased with all the positive feedback.

The summer of 2011 through 2013 I taught at the Rolland Fiddle Camp in beautiful Colorado.
It was a great experience and the students were fantastic.

Mike Cirillo teaching at Rolland Fiddle Camp
teaching at Rolland Fiddle Camp
Mike Cirillo teaching at Rolland Fiddle Camp
teaching at Rolland Fiddle Camp
Mike Cirillo performing at Rolland Fiddle Camp
performing at Rolland Fiddle Camp
Mike Cirillo and students at Rolland Fiddle Camp
me with my students at Rolland Fiddle Camp
being the instructor, I decided to remain dignified

On February 15, 2014 'The Mike Cirillo Ensemble' played a short concert for KTAR radio.
Performing with me are JP Escobedo on guitar and Byron Lipkins on bass.

Mike Cirillo Ensemble concert at KTAR radio

I performed the role of 'Hank the Fiddle Player' in Mesa Encore Theater's production of Big River.
The show opened on April 4, 2014 and ran for two weeks.
We received glowing reviews and sold out all performances including added shows.

MIke Cirillo Big River show
The show
Mike Cirillo Big River Show
Warming up in Mesa Arts Center loading dock
Mike Cirillo Big River Band
The band enjoying Thai food
Mike Cirillo Big River Band
The Big River Band

November 4, 2014 I joined 'The Amazing McNasty Brothers' for the 2014/2015 'Hello Arizona!' show.
The show features comedy and original Arizona themed bluegrass and country music.
We performed at The Mining Camp Restaurant in Apache Junction, Arizona.
During the busy season we performed two shows a day, five days a week, until the venue burned down on July 25, 2017.

Mike Cirillo as Mike McNasty
Mike Cirillo as Mike McNasty
Mike Cirillo The Amazing McNasty Brothers
The Amazing McNasty Brothers flier
The Amazing McNasty Brothers Album
I did the graphic design for the lastest album
The Amazing McNasty Brothers
The Amazing McNasty Brothers
The Amazing McNasty Brothers
The Amazing McNasty Brothers

On July 7 and 8 we played a festival in Lancy, Switzerland. We stayed in Geneva.
I visited The Large Hadron Collider, the United Nations Headquarters, and The Museum of Science.
I enjoyed my stay in Switzerland immensely!

Performing in Switzerland
performing in Switzerland
festival program
festival program
festival program
festival program
The Large Hadron Collider
The Large Hadron Collider
view from the plane
view from the plane
The Museum of Science
The Museum of Science
The Museum of Science
The Museum of Science
The United Nations
The United Nations
The Flower Clock
The Flower Clock
Geneva, Switzerland
Wandring in Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
Wandering in Geneva, Switzerland
The Large Hadron Collider
The Large Hadron Collider
The Large Hadron Collider
The Large Hadron Collider

I enjoyed coffee and the view at Musee Ariana.

On March 17, 2015 'Mike Cirillo's Hot Club of Arizona' performed in Garden City Kansas.
It was part of the 'Strings and Friends' concert series.
The concert was followed the next day by a master class.

Mike Cirillo Hot Club of Ariozna
Mike Cirillo's Hot Club of Arizona

On April 25 and 26, 2015 I played fiddle with The Phoenix Symphony.
I performed in their 'Legends of Nashville' Pops concert.
I am happy with my performance. I had several solos and a feature.
The audience was great and both shows received standing ovations.

Mike Cirillo Fiddling with Phoenix Symphony

The summer of 2015 I went into Tempest studio.
I recorded the first two movements of my original piano trio.

Daga Suchon is on violin.
Karen Ball Koger is on cello.
Miriam Ball Hickman is on piano.

Piano Trio in e minor 1st movement (mp3) Piano Trio in e minor 2nd movement (mp3) Piano Trio in e minor 1st movement (wav 16b) Piano Trio in e minor 2nd movement (wav 16b) Piano Trio in e minor 1st movement (wav 24b) Piano Trio in e minor 2nd movement (wav 24b)

I started performing at the Rockin' R Ranch during the summer of 2015.
I gigged 1 to 3 nights a week for 3 years until December 1st 2018 when the park was demonlished to make room for apartments.

The Rockin' R Ranch
The Rockin' R Ranch
Cowboy Mike
Cowboy Mike
The Rockin' R Ranch
The Rockin' R Ranch
The Rockin' R Ranch
The Rockin' R Ranch
The Rockin' R Ranch
The Rockin' R Ranch
Performing @RRR
Performing @RRR
The Rockin' R Ranch
The Rockin' R Ranch
The Rockin' R Wranglers
The Rockin' R Wranglers
The Rockin' R Ranch
The Rockin' R Ranch
The Medicine Show
The Medicine Show
The Cave
The Cave
The Rockin' R Ranch
The Rockin' R Ranch

The summer of 2018 I enjoyed a fun interview with Chelsea Marie from the Rockin' R Ranch.
We talked about music, travel, and computer animation.
I even fiddle a couple tunes!

The Summer of 2017 I toured with a George Strait Tribute Band called The Troubadour Experience.
I went to New Mexico, Colorado, Michigan, Texas, Nevada, and Newfoundland, Canada.

Mike Cirillo
Towaoc, Colorado
Mike Cirillo
Wisconsin airport
Mike Cirillo
Canada airport
Mike Cirillo
flying
Mike Cirillo
Laughlin, Nevada
Mike Cirillo
Michigan hotel room
Mike Cirillo
view from stage
Mike Cirillo
El Paso, Texas
Mike Cirillo
Newfoundland, Canada
Mike Cirillo
Monument Valley, Utah
Mike Cirillo
Monument Valley, Utah

On July 16, 2018 I performed with The Big Iron Band, a Marty Robbins Tribute show, in Old Tucson.

The Big Iron Band
The Big Iron Band

Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 I was invited to teach at Grand Canyon University.
I teach a variety of fiddling and Jazz violin styles and The Cirillo Method.

The Cirillo Method
The Cirillo Method

That's all for now. Thanks for your interest.