I have some big news I’m thrilled to share: I have been appointed the new Composer in Residence for the Frankfurt Radio Big Band.
First off, I want to say what an unbelievable honor it is to be following in the footsteps of Composer in Residence Jim McNeely, one of my biggest compositional heroes. Over the past 16 years, Jim has created a tremendous body of work for the band, and maintained an incredibly high standard of writing, arranging, and musicianship. His farewell concert featured a new 55-minute suite featuring every member of the band as a soloist — it was truly extraordinary.
Taking on this legacy is a massive responsibility, one I accept with the very deepest gratitude. Over the past 16 years, Jim has honed this group into a world-class big band, filled with amazing players that take great personal pride in the ensemble, and who always put the music first. I love this band and the people in it, and I’m very excited to be embarking on a new adventure with them!
When I was first offered the job, I knew right away the first musicians I wanted to invite as guest artists were Warren Wolf and Aaron Diehl. These are two of the most brilliant artists I have ever had the pleasure of working with — they each combine astonishing virtuosity with a depth of feeling and a generous, open-hearted spirit that elevates every musical situation. The band is going to love playing with them! For my part, I’m very excited to dive into writing for Warren and Aaron, taking their original compositions and other works from their repertoire and reimagining them for jazz orchestra.
The Warren Wolf concerts take place January 23rd in Darmstadt and January 24th in Frankfurt, and the Aaron Diehl concerts are June 5th in Frankfurt and June 6th in Giessen.