Jazz Concert April 18

April 15, 2013

UT Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications

UT Tyler Jazz Ensembles in Concert with Guest Artist Chris Vadala

April 15, 2013

Media Contact:  Hannah Buchanan
Editor/Writer–Strategic Communications & Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.539.7196 (cell)

April 15, 2013

The University of Texas at Tyler Department of Music will present the UT Tyler Jazz Ensembles in concert on Thursday, April 18, Dr. Michael Thrasher, School of Performing Arts director, announced.

The public concert, which begins at 7:30 p.m. in the UT Tyler University Center Theater, will feature world-renown woodwind artist Chris Vadala.

Vadala will first perform a set of jazz standards with the UT Tyler Jazz Patriots Combo and then will play with the 16-piece UT Tyler Jazz Ensemble.

Dr. John Webb, UT Tyler professor of music and director of jazz studies, will direct.

“One of the country’s foremost woodwind artists, Chris Vadala is in demand as a jazz/classical performer and educator,” Webb said. “Bring your friends and family for this special musical event.”

A distinguished scholar and teacher, Vadala serves as director of jazz studies and saxophone professor at the University of Maryland. He has appeared on more than 100 recordings to date, as well as innumerable jingle sessions, film and TV scores, performing on all the saxophones, flutes and clarinets.

A native of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Vadala holds a bachelor of music in music education and a performer’s certificate in saxophone from the Eastman School of Music, as well as a master of arts in clarinet from Connecticut College. He has also pursued postgraduate study in woodwinds at Eastman.

His previous academic appointments include teaching studio woodwinds and conducting jazz ensembles at Connecticut College, Montgomery College, Hampton University, Prince George’s Community College and Mount Vernon College, as well as visiting professor of saxophone at the Eastman School of Music in 1995 and 2001.

For more information, contact Webb, 903.566.7387 or jwebb@uttyler.edu.

One of the 15 campuses of the UT System, UT Tyler offers excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service. More than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs are available at UT Tyler, which has an enrollment of almost 7,000 high-ability students at its campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine.