Natalia 'Saw Lady' Paruz is a New York City-based musical saw and novelty instrument player and busker. She is the organizer of the annual Musical Saw Festivals in New York City and in Israel, columnist of the 'Saw Player News' and judge at international musical saw competitions.

Paruz has played the musical saw on many film soundtracks and can be seen as well as heard in the movie Dummy starring Adrien Brody. She has performed with orchestras such as the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Zubin Mehta), the Westchester Philharmonic, the Royal Air Moroccan Symphony Orchestra, the Amor Artis Orchestra, the Riverside Orchestra and at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall with PDQ Bach composer Peter Schickele and with the Little Orchestra Society. November 2007 marked her Carnegie Hall debut as a musical saw soloist and June 2008 marked her Madison Square Garden debut.Her musical saw can be heard in many TV commercials and she has appeared on numerous TV and radio programs around the world. Garrison Keillor of the Prairie Home Companion radio show has dubbed Natalia the show's 'official saw player'.As a studio musician, her musical saw has been recorded for albums of bands and composers such as John Hiatt.She played at many festivals, such as the Spoleto USA Festival, Utah Arts Festival, the World Trade Center's Buskers Fair and at the Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors Festival.

Paruz often plays the musical saw in contemporary music, encouraging today's composers to write for this instrument.

Paruz is considered the most knowledgable about the history of the musical saw, and her home is a pilgrimage place for saw enthusiasts.

Along with her professional career Paruz makes a point to also perform on the streets and subways as a busker. She has busked in the USA, Italy, Israel, Czech Republic, Poland and France. Paruz also served as a judge at the Music Under New York auditions for subway musicians.

Paruz also plays a set of 65 pitched cowbell, English handbells, 4-in-hand hand bells, theremin and glass harp.

Awards and honors

Paruz is a recipient of many awards, including:

• a citation of honor from the New York City Council
• a citation of honor from the New York State Senate
• a medal of honor from Paris, France.

She was chosen for the 'Best of New York' list of the 'Village Voice' two years in a row, as well as for the lists of 'Time Out New York', the 'New York Press' and the 'New York Resident'.

Paruz is a recipient of grants from the Queens Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and New York State Council on the Arts.

In 2009 Paruz organized the Guinness World Record of the 'Largest Musical Saw Ensemble', which gathered 53 musical saw players to perform together.

Books mentioning Paruz

• 'City Lights: Stories About New York'/St. Martin's Press
• 'New York Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff'/Globe Pequot
• '120 Jobs that Won't Chain You to Your Desk'/Random House
• 'The Savvy Musician'/Helius Press
• 'Sounds of the Underground'/Heidi Younger
• 'Teach a Man to Fish and Other Stories'/Richard A. Schrader, Sr.

References

• Natalia 'Saw Lady' Paruz's website
• Lincoln Center Library of the Performing Arts clippings collection, 'musical saw' archives and 'street performing' archives

External links

• Natalia 'Saw Lady' Paruz's website - sound samples, CDs and Downloads, composers manual, history, saws manufactured for music, musical saw memorabilia, poetry - all about the musical saw
• Natalia's musical saw CD
• The annual NYC Musical Saw Festival, founded & directed by Natalia
• A documentary film about Natalia
• a video clip of Natalia playing the musical saw in Times Square
• Natalia's blog about busking
• An article about Natalia and the musical saw from a violinist's perspective.