Alexander “Xandy” Janko participated in YMM’s Orchestras in the early 1980s. An outstanding talent, he has pursued a career in the arts. He wrote the score for the blockbuster “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” in 2002, which rapidly became the highest grossing romantic comedy in history. His most recent project includes writing the screenplay for “A Year by the Sea” , based on the bestselling stories by author Joan Anderson. Since arriving in Hollywood in 1991, after completing a music degree at Princeton, he has worked on more than 65 films, writing original songs and scores, orchestrating and conducting. In 1995, he became the lead orchestrator for prolific film composer David Newman including the Oscar-nominated score for the 1997 animation hit Anastasia.
ALEXANDER JANKO An award-winning filmmaker, Alexander Janko’s creative repertoire spans the music, literary, stage and film industries. Classically trained as a cellist, his first single "Omniscient Woman" won Billboard's Best Original Song competition in 1991. After graduating Princeton, he moved to Hollywood where he proceeded to work on more than 65 major motion pictures. TOMMY BOY launched his career as David Newman’s lead orchestrator, culminating in Mr Newman’s Oscar-nominated score to ANASTASIA. Mike Mills (R.E.M.) hired Mr Janko to arrange and conduct the music for the Andy Kaufman story, MAN ON THE MOON, including the band’s Grammy-nominated song “The Great Beyond”. A career milestone, he scored the indie sensation MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, the highest grossing romantic comedy in history. Produced with Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, his RIAA certified soundtrack won BMI’s Film Music award. Walt Disney World’s Imagination Pavilion features his creative theme park tunes. Expanding into theatre, Mr Janko composed the music for Oren Safdie’s off-Broadway premiere of PRIVATE JOKES, PUBLIC PLACES. The libretto of his first stage musical, EMERGING FROM THE NIGHT, is based on the lost love letters of two 12th century icons: the abbess Heloise and philosopher Abelard. As a writer, Mr Janko has penned a one-act stage play and six scripts, including HOME TOWN (based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Kidder’s national bestseller), which became a semifinalist in Final Draft's "Big Break" screenwriting competition. Mr Janko’s directorial debut, YEAR BY THE SEA (based on Joan Anderson’s NYT bestselling memoir)—winner of 16 festival awards including Best Film, Best Actor, Best Screenplay and four Audience Choice—is slated for release in 2017.