Antonio Garcia

Antonio Garcia is an Associate Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he directs ensembles, teaches music industry, jazz trombone, and various jazz courses. He has received commissions for jazz, symphonic, chamber, and solo works from Meet The Composer, The Commission Project, The Thelonious Monk Institute, and regional arts councils; composition/arrangement honors include IAJE (jazz band), ASCAP (orchestral), and Billboard Magazine (pop songwriting); and his music has aired over National Public Radio and CBS-TV.

A Bach/Selmer clinician, he has freelanced as trombonist, bass trombonist, or pianist with over 70 nationally renowned artists, including Ella Fitzgerald, George Shearing, Mel Tormé, Billy Eckstine, Doc Severinsen, Dave Brubeck, Louie Bellson, and Phil Collins--and has performed at the Montreux, Nice, North Sea, Pori (Finland), New Orleans, and Chicago Jazz Festivals. An avid scat-singer, he has performed vocally with jazz ensembles around the world and has served as Director of the Illinois Music Educators Association All-State Jazz Choir and Combo and similar ensembles outside of Illinois and was the recipient of IMEA's 2001 Distinguished Service Award. He has produced recordings or broadcasts of such artists as Wynton Marsalis, Gene Bertoncini, Jim Pugh, Dave Taylor, Susannah McCorkle, Sir Roland Hanna, and the JazzTech Big Band.

Tony is _International Trombone Association Journal_ Associate Jazz Editor, IAJE _Jazz Education Journal_ Past Editor, IAJE-IL Past President, past International Co-Chair for Curriculum and for Vocal/Instrumental Integration, and served as Chicago Host Coordinator for the 1997 Conference. He was an Illinois Coalition for Music Education coordinator and is currently a Midwest Clinic board member.

Widely published in more than a dozen education and jazz periodicals, he is Co-Editor and Contributing Author of MENC's _Teaching Jazz: A Course of Study_ and has taught and guest-conducted in Canada, Europe, South Africa, Australia, and across the U.S. Previous to VCU, he served as Associate Professor and Coordinator of Combos at Northwestern University, where he taught jazz and integrated arts, was Jazz Coordinator for the National High School Music Institute, and for four years directed the Vocal Jazz Ensemble. Formerly the Coordinator of Jazz Studies at Northern Illinois University, he was selected by students and faculty there as the recipient of a 1992 "Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching" award and nominated as its candidate for 1992 CASE "U.S. Professor of the Year" (one of 434 nominees nationwide).

For information about his performance schedule, please e-mail him. ajgarcia@vcu.edu