Rory S Kaplan
Forty-Five years in the music industry, having performed on 18 world tours, played and/or programmed on over 100 albums, executive produced over 180 surround sound projects for DTS and Image Ent.
Early in Rory’s career, he was introduced to jazz artist Chick Corea and began his professional journey. Rory would program synthesizers and various keyboards for Chick’s solo albums, his band Return To Forever, and The Electrik Band. Also would engineer “An Evening With Chick Corea & Herbie Hancock” album. Through Chick, Rory would meet and work with several of the top jazz artists. Then in “81” he would begin work at Fairlight CMI which was the first sampling computer keyboard instrument. This opened doors to Christopher Cross, Stevie Wonder, and the Jackson’s.
After touring with Christopher Cross, and Stevie Wonder in “83” Rory would be introduced to Jermaine Jackson who would bring Rory on board for the Jackson’s Victory Tour, and as a result, have Rory put the band together for Michael Jackson’s first solo tour “BAD”, along with Musical Director Greg Phillinganes.. After Michael’s tour, Rory would become musical director for Donny Osmond’s come back tour “Soldier Of Love”.
In the “90’s” he would stop touring and focus on studio albums with YES, Joe Cocker, Belinda Carlisle, Jon Anderson, and producing Edgar Winter’s album “The Real Deal”. It would be Edgar’s record label president who would introduce Rory to Digital Theater Systems, as they asked him to bring the music industry to the world of surround. Rory would reach out to artists, labels, managers, attorney’s and acquire projects with artists such as; Sting, Queen, The Eagles, Sheryl Crow, Graham Nash, The Police, The London Symphony, Vince Gill, Trisha Yearwood, Patrick Leonard, Toy Matinee’ and many others.
After Rory’s first run at DTS from “1996-2003” he would consult for Microsoft Windows Media division, AMD, and then Intel to develop a better audio platform. Many years in the studios, listening to every type of speaker product, and working with the top level of engineers from George Massenburg, Elliot Scheiner, to Al Schmitt, Chuck Ainlay, Ed Cherney and many others.
Currently Rory is executive producing Immersive audio projects with the likes of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and consulting for Auro Technologies for their up and coming Auro 3D immersive content.