NAME:
Tom Hess

PLACE OF BIRTH:
Illinois, United States of America

ACTUALLY LIVING IN:
Illinois, United States of America

WHEN AND HOW DID YOU START PLAYING YOUR INSTRUMENT:
I started playing guitar on January 31, 1986. I began taking guitar lessons in 1988 from various mediocre local guitar teachers. In 1989, I found a really good guitar teacher who introduced me to serious guitar playing and serious guitar players (such as Yngwie Malmsteen). Through the early 1990s I took guitar lessons with 2 other exceptional teachers (Jack Wilson and George Bellas). At the same time I studied music at Harper College and music composition at Roosevelt University in Chicago.

HISTORY AS MUSICIAN:
I founded the band HESS in 1994 and released two albums Opus 1 (2000) and Opus 2 (2004). In 2004 I joined the band HolyHell (which toured with Rhapsody of Fire in 2005 and 2007). As a solo musician, I’ve written and recorded other music that is intentionally unreleased. In 2011, I joined Rhapsody of Fire.

ALL TIME FAVOURITE MUSICIANS:
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849), Henryk Gorecki (1935-2010), Gustav Mahler (1860-1911), J.S. Bach (1685-1750), Claude Debussy (1826-1918), Richard Wagner (1813-1883), Johannes Brahms (1833-1897).

Andy LaRocque, Jason Becker, Yngwie Malmsteen, Marty Friedman, Dream Theater, George Bellas, Paul Gilbert, Mike Walsh, SAGE4, Symphony X, Alice in Chains, The 69 Eyes, Fabio Lione, and of course… Rhapsody of Fire.

ALL TIME FAVOURITE PIECES OF MUSIC:
Gorecki - Symphony #3, Chopin - 24 Preludes, Brahms - Ein Deutsches Requiem, Mahler Symphony #2, Wagner - Tristan und Isolde Prelude

FAVOURITE ALBUM OF RHAPSODY:
SYMPHONY OF ENCHANTED LANDS II

FAVOURITE SONGS OF RHAPSODY:
“The Dark Secret - Ira Divina”, “The Magic of the Wizard's Dream”, “Land of Immortals”, “Flames of Revenge”.

YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIE GENRE:
Drama, military films

ALL TIME FAVOURITE MOVIES:
“The Passion of the Christ”, ”The Lord Of The Rings”, “What Dreams May Come”, and too many others to list here.

HOBBIES:
I don’t really have ‘hobbies’ because everything I love to do I am doing in my career.

YOUR ARTISTIC DREAM:
Already doing it.

YOUR LIFE’S DREAM:
Already living it.

YOUR PERSONAL WEBSITE:
www.tomhess.net