Sean Lomax

Sean Alan Lomax (born c. 1960)[1] is an American professional whistler. A two-time winner at the International Whistlers Convention, Lomax quit his day job in 2005 to tour in Cirque du Soleil's Corteo.

Sean Lomax
Birth nameSean Alan Lomax
Born1959/1960 (age 59–60)[1]
OriginBraddock, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation(s)Whistler
Years active1985–present

Life and career

Sean Alan Lomax[2] grew up in Braddock, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and at age 18 joined the United States Navy in submarine service.[1]

International Whistlers Convention

Possessing a whistling range of three octaves, Lomax says he was encouraged to attend the annual International Whistlers Convention in Louisburg, North Carolina, and first did in 1985. That year, he performed Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue but was disqualified for running overtime. He has returned to the competition many times, becoming the International Whistling Grand Champion in 1988 and 1992 and named Entertainer of the Year in 2009.[1]

In 1990, while stationed for the Navy in San Diego, California, Lomax traveled to Louisburg and placed second in character as the "whistling sailor" with The Barber of Seville and "The Theme from Superman".[3] After his 1988 win, he appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson;[4] in 1992, he appeared on Late Night with David Letterman and whistled the Fifth Symphony's first movement,[5] the piece Lomax whistled to win the International Whistlers Convention that year.[6]

Corteo

In 2000, he was described as "the strangest part of [a] program" who "wowed the audience with his true and occasionally adventurous renditions of old standards."[7] In 2004, Lomax released the jazz holiday album Whistling This Christmas.[8] Also that year, Lomax made several television appearances and auditioned in Las Vegas for Cirque du Soleil. In April 2005, Corteo launched with Lomax in a leading role, so he left his job as a network technician to whistle full-time.[1] In Corteo, Lomax played circus ringmaster Mr. Loyal, performing upwards of 3,000 shows.[9] In a review for the Houston Chronicle, Molly Glentzer wrote, "ultimately, it's the least likeable character of all—Mr. Loyal, the angry ringmaster—who comes across as the most poignant, when he whistles a farewell to Mauro. Sean Lomax whistles so virtuosically he seems part bird, part angel and part seering violin."[10] A second incarnation of Corteo, again featuring Lomax, started in 2018.[11]

As of 2009, Lomax regularly makes public appearances in person and on television as well as performing at private events and with Carnival Cruise Line.[1]

References
  1. Angell, Kate Luce (May 7, 2009). "Champion whistler to perform with Edgewood Symphony". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  2. "Sean Alan Lomax". whistleon.com. Sean Lomax. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  3. "'Rhapsody in Blue' wins it for whistler". United Press International. April 22, 1990. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  4. "Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The {Sean Lomax, Kenny Rogers} (TV)". Paley Center for Media. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  5. "Late Night with David Letterman - Show #1622". TV.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  6. "Beethoven wins for whistler". The Journal Times. Racine, Wisconsin. April 26, 1992. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  7. Asmus, Peter (2000). Reaping the Wind: How Mechanical Wizards, Visionaries, and Profiteers Helped Shape Our Energy Future. Island Press. p. 218. ISBN 9781597262606. Archived from the original on 2018-07-23. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  8. "Whistling This Christmas - Sean Lomax". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  9. Wolgamott, L. Kent (May 17, 2018). "Cirque du Soleil brings mesmerizing theatrical acrobatics to arena in 'Corteo'". Lincoln Journal Star. Archived from the original on May 18, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  10. Glentzer, Molly (March 9, 2018). "Cirque du Soleil's 'Corteo' teaches us to fly". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 9, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  11. Bergeron, Michael (March 5, 2018). "Cirque du Soleil's 'Corteo' Breezes Into Town This Weekend". Free Press Houston. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
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