Jeff Tyzik (born Jeff Tkazyik, August 1, 1951)[1][2] is an American conductor, arranger, and trumpeter.[2] He has recorded jazz albums as a soloist and arranged pop and jazz music for orchestras.
Jeff Tyzik | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Jeff Tkazyik |
| Born | August 1, 1951 Hyde Park, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, pop, classical |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, arranger, conductor |
| Instrument | Trumpet |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Labels | Capitol, Polydor, Amherst |
| Website | jefftyzik |
Early life and education
editTyzik, born in Hyde Park, New York, started playing cornet at age nine,[3] after being inspired by the buglers in an Independence Day parade in nearby Poughkeepsie.[2] He switched to trumpet at age 11.[2] He attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, earning Bachelor of Music (1973) and Master of Music (1977) degrees.[4]
Career
editWhile at Eastman, Tyzik met Chuck Mangione, a flugelhornist from Rochester who was teaching at the school. He worked with Mangione between 1973 and 1980 as lead trumpeter in Mangione's band and as co-producer of four albums.[2] During this time, Tyzik also began a long collaboration with Doc Severinsen, when Severinsen brought him to London to work on two albums with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Tyzik recorded six albums as a solo trumpeter between 1981 and 1990, appearing on Capitol, Polydor, and Amherst Records. He performed in the Rochester area with his own big band in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During this time, Tyzik was also busy with Severinsen, serving as arranger and record producer for Severinsen and The Tonight Show Band. Tyzik won a Grammy Award in 1987 for producing the 1986 album The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen.
In addition to Severinsen and Mangione, Tyzik has arranged music and produced records for Maynard Ferguson and for the Woody Herman Orchestra.
Rochester Philharmonic
editThe Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra approached Tyzik and Allen Vizzutti (a friend of Tyzik's from Eastman) in 1983 about creating a pops program for the orchestra.[2] The pair spent the next decade working with orchestras around the country on similar programs.[2]
In 1994, Tyzik was named Principal Pops Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, a position he still holds. Since then, he has established himself as one of the country's preeminent Pops conductors and arrangers, acting as Principal Pops Conductor for the RPO, the Dallas Symphony,[5] Oregon Symphony, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, The Florida Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Seattle Symphony.[2][6][7] He has appeared as guest conductor for numerous other orchestras in the U.S., Canada, and even Monte Carlo. He also conducted the Brass Band of Battle Creek for a 1996 independent album.
His arrangements of popular and jazz tunes for full orchestra have been widely performed. Publisher G. Schirmer commissioned Tyzik to arrange some of Duke Ellington's jazz suites for orchestra, including Black, Brown and Beige and The Nutcracker Suite. The Royal Philharmonic, the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, and the Summit Brass have all recorded music arranged or composed by Tyzik.
Tyzik later branched out into more traditional orchestral styles, conducting a few RPO concerts outside of the Pops series. At one such concert, he premiered his own Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra, and later premiered his wind ensemble orchestration of the same piece with the Eastman Wind Ensemble at Carnegie Hall.
A 2007 recording by the RPO, with Tyzik conducting and Jon Nakamatsu on piano, of George Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F, Rhapsody in Blue, and Cuban Overture peaked at #3 on the Billboard classical charts. The album, on the Harmonia Mundi label, received very positive reviews, with David Hurwitz calling it "unquestionably the best Gershwin disc to come along in years".[8]
Personal life
editTyzik lives in Rochester with his wife, Jill. Their daughter is mezzo-soprano Jami Tyzik. John Tkazyik, former mayor of Poughkeepsie, is a second cousin.[2]
Discography
edit- Farthest Corner of My Mind (independent, 1979)
- Prophecy (independent, 1980)
- Radiance (Capitol, 1982)
- Jammin' in Manhattan (Polydor, 1984)
- Smile (Polydor, 1985)
- Distant Dreams (Amherst, 1990)
References
edit- ^ "If you see RPO Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik today, wish him a very happy birthday!". www.facebook.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Barry, John W. (April 2, 2013). "Poughkeepsie native Jeff Tyzik is principal pops conductor for Rochester Philharmonic". Poughkeepsie Journal. Poughkeepsie, New York. Gannett Company. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2013.
- ^ "Jeff Tyzik performs with the Oregon Symphony". OregonSymphony.com. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- ^ "Eastman School of Music Class Notes". Rochester Review. University of Rochester. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- ^ "DSO Names Principal Pops Conductor". 19 August 2013. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
- ^ "Jeff Tyzik - Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra". Archived from the original on 2013-05-01. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- ^ "RPO's Tyzik named to Detroit Symphony Orchestra post | Rochester Business Journal New York business news and information". Archived from the original on 2012-11-06. Retrieved 2012-11-06.
- ^ "RPO's Gershwin CD gets rave reviews". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-07-24.