1st Annual sUMMer Jazz Experience
for high school musicians
"improvisation with Vizzutti and Vadala"

June 8-10, 2008
University of Minnesota, Morris

GUEST ARTISTS: Chris Vadala and Allen Vizzutti

CHRIS VADALA

One of the country's foremost woodwind artists, Chris Vadala is in demand as a jazz/classical performer and educator. 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., he graduated from the Eastman School of Music, earning the honor of the Performer's Certificate in saxophone as well as a B.M. in Music Education, received an M.A. in clarinet from Connecticut College, and pursued postgraduate study in woodwinds at Eastman. Professor Vadala is the Director of Jazz Studies and Saxophone Professor at the University of Maryland. 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, 1995 and 2001.

Mr. Vadala's performing career has been highlighted by a long tenure as standout woodwind artist with the Internationally recognized Chuck Mangione Quartet, which included performances in all 50 states, Canada, Australia, Japan, Philippines, China, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, England, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, and Switzerland, and performing credits on five gold and two platinum albums, plus two Grammies, one Emmy, one Georgie (AGVA) and one Golden Globe Award. In addition, he has performed and/or recorded with such greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, B.B. King, Chick Corea, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Placido Domingo, Sarah Vaughn, Natalie Cole, Herbie Hancock, Ray Charles, Henry Mancini, Doc Severinsen, Phil Woods, Joe Lovano, and many others. As one of the Selmer Company's most requested Artist in Residence clinicians and D’Addarrio/Rico Artists, Mr. Vadala travels worldwide, performing with and conducting student and professional jazz ensembles, symphonic bands, and orchestras. Within the past six years alone, Mr. Vadala has appeared with over 200 groups across the nation and Canada, and has conducted 38 All-State, as well as numerous All-County and All-District Jazz Ensembles. He has served three terms as President of the Maryland Unit of the International Association for Jazz Education, is a permanent member of its Executive Board (College Faculty Representative), and was a Woodwind Representative to its International Resource Team.

Mr. Vadala's column on woodwind doubling appeared regularly in the Saxophone Journal for 10 years, and he has authored articles for many other magazines. A Downbeat magazine poll finalist in four categories and the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Study grant, he has published a number of original compositions and arrangements (Medici Music & Cimarron Music Press). His book, Improve Your Doubling (Dorn Productions) is acclaimed as a valuable addition to woodwind literature. In addition to his debut solo CD, Out of the Shadows, recent recording/publications include Jazz/Rock in the USA, Jazz Solos, Nothin' But Jazz, Jazz Adventures, Modern Jazz-Rock and R & B, and Fusion Solos 6 books with play-a-long CDs by Dehaske/Curnow), as well as a contributions to Warner Brother's Approaching the Standards play-a-long improvisation series and Jazz Pedagogy (The Jazz Educator's Handbook and Resource Guide). He also has the honor of being included in a new publication, “The History of the Top 40 Sax Solos (1955-1998).”

ALLEN VIZZUTTI

Allen Vizzutti has performed in thirty countries and every state in the union with a wide range of artists and ensembles, including Chick Corea, Doc Severinsen, The NBC Tonight Show Band, the Airmen of Note, the Army Blues, Chuck Mangione, Woody Herman, Japan’s NHK Symphony Orchestra, and the Kosei Wind Orchestra. He has appeared as a guest classical and jazz soloist with symphony orchestras in Germany, Tokyo, Budapest, St. Louis, Syracuse, Honolulu, Milwaukee, Minnesota, and Phoenix, among others. Vizzutti’s status as an artist has led to solo performances at the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, Newport Jazz Festival, Banff Center for the Performing Arts, Montreux Jazz Festival, and Lincoln Center.

He has recorded both jazz and classical CDs, as well as performing on many motion picture soundtracks and TV shows, commercials, and recording with artists such as Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, and Chick Corea.

As artist in residence, Vizzutti has taught at the Eastman School of Music, the Banff Center for the Performing Arts, the University of Washington, Kansas State Univeresity, and West Texas University. The Allen Vizzutti Trampet Method, published by Alfred Music, has become a standard work for trumpet study world-wide.

Vizzutti earned bachelor of music and master of music degrees from the Eastman School of Music, as well as a Performer’s Certificate, a chair in the faculty brass quintet, and the only Artists’ Diploma ever awarded a wind player.

About the Guest Artists
Sample Schedule
Costs
Transportation
Registration form
About the University of Minnesota, Morris

For more information, contact:

Karen Ellis
Continuing Education & Summer Session
UMM
800.842.0030
320.589.6463
elliskj@morris.umn.edu