John Cerullo, head of Hal Leonard's trade book division, has bought Amadeus Press, a small music publisher that was formerly an imprint of Oregon's Timber Press. Cerullo used his own money to make the acquisition, but said that the new company will be marketed and distributed by Leonard. Cerullo will also serve as publisher, but he has appointed an editorial director to oversee acquisitions.
Amadeus publishes books on classical music and opera. It released about six books per year until a few years ago, when the departure of an editorial director forced it to wind down to only two or three books per year. It has about 100 titles on its overall list. Cerullo said the company's backlist fits well with Leonard's; the book arm of the music powerhouse publishes books on rock, jazz and pop and also owns the theater-themed Applause Books. Amadeus's former parent, Timber, is best known for books on horticulture.
