Composers in Residence
Following the mission of Reimagining the American Songbook, TKA Jazz is making a significant impact in our school and the surrounding community. Our collaborations with leading composers produce tailor-made works that sharpen and showcase our talented students while at the same time making significant and lasting contribution to the field of music as a whole. TKA Jazz is furthering music education not only by supporting composers and their creative works, but by also adding to the jazz library for bands around the world to perform reimagined arrangements of timeless standards. Collectively these components of TKA Jazz are making measurable differences in the lives of our students.
Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor retired in 2001 as chief arranger for The United States Army Band (“Pershing’s Own”) after 24 years, during which he composed extensively for the Army Blues, including their album *A New Beginning*. His arrangements have been performed globally, including at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Before joining the Army, he wrote for Stan Kenton, launching his music publishing career. He has produced the Hal Leonard Play-along Series with over 175 books. Taylor produced and released two acclaimed CDs of his music with drummer Steve Fidyk. A graduate of the University of North Texas, Mark is a respected clinician and currently arranges for Hal Leonard Corporation.
Michael Mossman
Michael Philip Mossman is a distinguished trumpeter and composer recognized for his contributions to jazz and classical music. He received a Grammy nomination for his “Afro-Latin Ellington Suite” and has composed for films like “Bossa Nova” and the Oscar-nominated “Chico and Rita.” Michael has composed and arranged scores for the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Louisiana Philharmonic, Joe Henderson's Grammy winning Big Band album, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, The Charles Mingus Orchestra, the WDR Big Band of Cologne, and many more. Mossman has conducted major orchestras and performed with legends such as Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey. A key figure in Latin jazz, he appears in the documentary “Calle 54” and has recorded multiple acclaimed albums. Currently, he is Professor and Director of Jazz Studies at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College and is a Yamaha Artist.
Greg Yasinitsky
Gregory W. Yasinitsky, Regents Professor of Music at Washington State University, has an international reputation as a composer, arranger and saxophonist. He is the winner of the American Prize for Orchestral Composition. Yasinitsky is a member of the Board of Directors for the Jazz Education Network and is a member of the Washington State Music Educators Hall of Fame. Additionally, he is the recipient of the WSU Eminent Faculty Award, the university’s top award for faculty, and the Distinguished Faculty Award from the College of Arts and Sciences. Yasinitsky is a recipient of grants and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Commission Project, Artist Trust and ASCAP. He has written music especially for David Sanborn, Clark Terry, Dave Liebman and the USAF "Airmen of Note" big band. Yasinitsky has over 210 published musical works which are performed in over forty countries world-wide, and his compositions and saxophone playing are featured on over fifty recordings. Yasinitsky has performed with Randy Brecker, Sean Jones, Marcus Printup, Tom Harrell, Ed Calle, Alex Acuna, Kirk Whalum, Claudio Roditi, Conrad Herwig, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Louis Bellson, Stan Getz, Lionel Hampton, Lou Rawls, Manhattan Transfer, and many others. Yasinitsky is a Yamaha performing artist and a JodyJazz Artist.
Scott Ragsdale
W. Scott Ragsdale is retired from the U.S. Navy Band of Washington, D.C., where he served as chief arranger, composer and trombonist with the Navy’s premier jazz ensemble, The Commodores. He has also arranged for numerous bands up and down the East Coast for more than 30 years. He studied music at Southern Illinois University and the Berklee School of Music (MA).
Michele Fernández
Michele Fernández is an active guest clinician/conductor, composer, festival adjudicator, and performer. Her compositions have been premiered at Midwest, IAJE, and Regional Honor/All-State venues. Her original works for jazz ensemble are published through Hal Leonard, Excelcia Music, JW Pepper, Print Music Source and “Jazz Zone” series. She is a sponsored Hal Leonard clinician, HAPCO Foundation staff clinician and in the past has also served as guest clinician/conductor/guest lecturer for various universities, including UNCo, UNT, UM Frost, UF and others. She serves bands around the country through clinics virtually or in-person via Composer-in-Residence events. Michele recently retired from teaching in Miami after 30 years, where her Miami Senior HS ensembles earned top honors and gained international acclaim. Her groups have been selected for Midwest Clinic, IAJE, Montreux Jazz Festival, FMEA and various national publications. She and her students were the subject of a documentary on “CBS Sunday Morning”, cover story in Band Director’s Guide and featured as an outstanding educator in Downbeat Magazine. Before focusing on writing/clinics, she served as an active oboist in the Miami area, as well as a rhythm section player in a busy Afro-Latin /Jazz group. Michele’s available clinic presentations, handouts and Latin Jazz compositions for big band can also be viewed at www.Michele-Fernandez.com.
Mike Tomaro
Mike Tomaro is a saxophonist, composer, arranger, and educator who recently retired as Jazz Studies Program Director at the Mary Pappert School of Music, Duquesne University, a position he held since 1997. Prior to that, he spent 17 years with the Army Blues Jazz Ensemble of “Pershing’s Own” U.S. Army Band, serving as Enlisted Musical Director and performing for U.S. presidents and world leaders. A Yamaha Performing Artist and Vandoren Diamond Artist, Tomaro has released five recordings as a leader, most recently 4 Seasons (MCG Jazz), and has appeared on numerous others, including Nancy Wilson’s Grammy-winning albums Turned To Blue and RSVP, the Bob Mintzer Big Band’s Grammy-nominated For The Moment, and projects with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, Ann Hampton Callaway, New York Voices, and Sheryl Bailey. As a performer, he has shared the stage with artists such as Rosemary Clooney, Ray Charles, Michael Feinstein, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Mathis, Wayne Bergeron, Terence Blanchard, and Terry Gibbs.
As lead alto of the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, Tomaro composes and arranges much of the group’s repertoire, including their acclaimed holiday album Joyful Jazz, named one of the top holiday albums of 2015 by the Wall Street Journal. His music has been performed by jazz luminaries such as David Liebman, Randy Brecker, Wayne Bergeron, and Ivan Lins, as well as orchestras, universities, and ensembles worldwide. With over 200 published works, a widely used arranging textbook, and countless guest appearances as a soloist, clinician, and adjudicator, Tomaro continues to shape the jazz landscape. In recognition of his contributions, he was inducted into the Pittsburgh Jazz Legends Hall of Fame.
Rick Hirsch
Rick Hirsch is an award-winning composer, arranger, saxophonist, and educator who began his career as a personal music copyist for Toshiko Akiyoshi and Bob Mintzer. His music has been performed worldwide by ensembles such as the US Navy Commodores, the Birdland Big Band, and the Sydney Jazz Orchestra, and he has written for jazz icons including Yusef Lateef, Tito Puente, Eddie Henderson, and the Yellowjackets. With over 100 published works through Alfred Music, FJH, and HirschMusic, Hirsch has become a leading voice in jazz and saxophone ensemble literature, frequently featured at JEN and the Midwest Clinic.
As a performer, Hirsch has shared the stage with Max Roach, Tito Puente, Phil Woods, Paquito D’Rivera, the Four Tops, and the Temptations. Known for his inspiring and approachable teaching style, he has conducted numerous All-State Jazz Bands and PMEA District Jazz Bands and currently serves as an artist-in-residence at Penn State University. He has also held residencies at institutions including the University of Kentucky, Ithaca College, and the University of Maryland, while continuing to mentor young saxophonists through his acclaimed after-school program, the Fraser Street Saxes.
“The King’s Academy Jazz Ensemble is a gift and inspiration to all who love Jazz.”
— Arturo Sandoval, Grammy-winning Jazz great