Brian Tarquin

Multi-Emmy award winning Brian Tarquin is an established top rate composer/guitarist/producer. Through the past 30 years he has enjoyed Top 10 radio hits in several formats as Smooth Jazz, NACC Loud Rock & CMJ’s RPM charts. His music has been heard by tens of millions on a plethora of television and film scores such as: CSI, Ellen, Extra, TMZ, 60 Minutes, Sex and the City, 20/20, SNL, Godzilla, Seinfeld, Cheers, Charmed, Good Morning America, The Watcher (Keanu Reeves), Desert Heat (Van Damme), The Sender (R. Lee Ermey), and National Lampoon’s Repli-Kate (Ali Landry) to name a few. He has won 3 Emmy's for “Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series” and has been nominated for an Emmy 6 times. In 2022 & 2023 the Josie Music Awards nominated Tarquin for "Musician of the Year (Guitar)" and "Music Producer of the Year." Additionally, in 2023 the Josie Music Awards nominated Brian Tarquin & Heavy Friends: Brothers In Arms for "Instrumental Album of the Year" and "Music Video of the Year" for “Speed of Sound” featuring Joe Satriani. In 2019 Tarquin received a Global Music Gold Award for his release Orlando In Heaven for “Best Album.” In 2023 the Hollywood Independent Music Awards nominated his company BHP Music-Guitar Trax Records for "Independent Record Label of the Year." Three years in a row (2016-2018) Tarquin received “Best Album of the Year” nominations from the Independent Music Awards for his releases: Guitars for Wounded Warriors, Orlando in Heaven, and Guitars for Veterans showcasing his guitar prowess alongside such world-class shredders as: Steve Morse, Larry Coryell, Billy Sheehan, Bumblefoot (Guns N’ Roses), and Chuck Loeb (FourPlay) to name a few. In 2006 SESAC honored him with the Network Television Performance Award. Tarquin has graced the Top Billboard Charts with such commercial releases as: This is Acid Jazz, Vol. 2, Sweet Emotions, Smooth Jazz Radio Hits and Bossa Brava: Caliente on Instinct Records, followed by several successful solo jazz albums which charted Top 10 at Smooth Jazz Radio R&R and Gavin charts with such hits as “One Arabian Knight”, “Midnight Blue”, “Freeway Jam”, “Darlin Darlin Baby”, “Tangled Web”, “Rainfall”, “Charlemagne”, & “Riders On The Storm”. Brian has appeared on 50 releases, has 38 million streams on Pandora, Spotify & Apple: selling over 140,000 records in his career. In 2023 Tarquin released the extraordinary album entitled “Brothers In Arms” featuring such iconic musicians as Joe Satriani, Vinnie Moore (UFO), Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal (Guns N’ Roses), Alex De Rosso (Dokken), Travis Stever (Coheed & Cambria), Jeff Duncan (Armored Saint), Johannes Weik (Son of a Bach), Gerald Gradwohl (Tangerine Dream), Chris Haskett (Henry Rollins Band), The Budapest Orchestra. The Album topped the metal radio charts peaking #7 on the NACC Loud Rock charts and #11 on the Metal Contraband charts. Brian Tarquin, a one-man army, composed, produced and performed all guitar melodies, solos, bass, rhythm guitars and used session drummer Reggie Pryor. The album features exclusive songs inspired by those military soldiers who have fought for their country. In 2017 Tarquin composed, produced and performed on two top 20 charting radio albums for Cleopatra Record’s Orlando In Heaven, which was #6 on the Relix Jam Band Charts and Band of Brothers, which was #21 on the Metal Contraband Charts. Orlando In Heaven was a special project featuring an incredible cast of musical virtuosos playing their hearts out for the Pulse victims in Orlando. Both albums showcase such world-class players as guitar legend Larry Coryell, Mike Stern (Miles Davis), Jeff Scott Soto (Journey, Trans-Siberian Orchestra), Trey Gunn (King Crimson), Jeff Watson (Night Ranger), Steve Morse (Deep Purple), Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal (ex-Guns N' Roses, Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake), Gary Hoey, Tony Franklin (Jimmy Page), Chris Poland (Megadeth), Hal Lindes (Dire Straits), Will Ray (The Hellecasters) and Phil Naro (Talas). In 2006, Tarquin opened his own boutique record label called BHP MUSIC/GUITAR TRAX RECORDS, specializing in instrumental guitar music. The label releases the Guitar Master Series featuring legends: Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Allan Holdsworth and Zakk Wylde. Simultaneously he built Jungle Room Studios where he records many of the releases for his record label. Jungle Room is an extensive analog/digital studio located in the beautiful New York Catskill mountains featuring a classic 1980’s British Trident 24 recording console with analog tape machines as Otari MTR 90, an Ampex 440c and a plethora of delicious analog gear! Brian’s weekly NPR radio show called Guitar Trax on WFIT 89.5FM on the Florida Space Coast is streamed on www.wfit.org. He hosts in depth interviews with world-renowned guitarists every Monday night from 10pm-Midnight. Tarquin was married in Edenborough, Scotland in 2000 to Melissa Demafeliz which ended in 2022 by divorce. He has 3 children Liam Tarquin, Brianna Katherine and Bridget Bette. Tarquin is a devote Roman Catholic and has contributed donations to various Catholic causes. He is an avid classic movie collector and motorcycle enthusiast. Upon graduation of high school, he won honor awards for ceramics and English. Tarquin has also made several of his own guitars and has used them on recordings through the years. Brian was very close to his maternal grandmother Katherine Pema who was an immigrant from Albania. Katherine helped raise him and lived with the family on and off for the first 18 years of his life. He has resided in Studio City, CA., New York and Cape Canaveral, FL.