Short Bio

Wil Swindler, saxophonist, composer and winner of the 2008 Gil Evans Fellowship, is based near Denver, CO. You can hear him both as a composer and performer with numerous groups including his Elevenet, 9th+Lincoln, the Colorado Jazz Orchestra, Manny Lopez's Latin Jazz Project, Red Sylvester, the Legacy Jazz Orchestra, Onda, and vocalist Barron Steffen. Wil has received commissions from The USAF Falconaires, Denver University, Colorado State University, and has composed original music for Steve Wilson and Steve Weist among others. As a performer, he has played with Toshiko Akiyoshi, John Fedchock, Steve Wilson, Bill Warfield, Greg Gisbert, and many others.

In the Fall of 2009, Mr. Swindler joined the music faculty at Colorado State University as Associate Director of Jazz Studies where he teaches jazz theory, jazz composition/arranging, improvisation and directs Jazz Ensemble II. Wil has served as an Adjunct Saxophone Teacher at Denver University, composition teacher for the Colorado Conservatory of the Jazz Arts, faculty at the Yellowstone Jazz Camp as well as the University of Northern Colorado Jazz Camp, and maintains an active private studio of saxophone and composition students. Mr. Swindler holds a B.M. from the University of North Texas in Jazz Studies graduating Magna Cum Laude.

Extended Bio

Composer and Saxophonist, Wil Swindler currently resides near Denver, Colorado where he leads Wil Swindler's Elevenet and serves as musical director for both the latin jazz group Onda and vocalist Barron Steffen. He is a performer and contributing composer with the 9th+Lincoln Orchestra, the Colorado Jazz Orchestra, and the electro-acoustic band, Red Sylvester. He also performs with the Fort Collins Symphony, Manny Lopez's Latin Jazz Project, the Gretchen Troop Band and the Boulder Philharmonic, as well as playing productions at the Buell Theatre, the Arvada Center for the Arts and Central City Opera. In addition to receiving IAJE's Gil Evans Fellowship for 2008, Wil has recently completed commissions for the USAF Falconaires and Denver University for original music for his Elevenet. He has one CD released on the NohJoh Music Label (October 2006) with his Austin, TX-based group the Chamber Jazz Ensemble. Two of Mr. Swindler's compositions are featured on the latest CD release (December 2007) by the 9th+Lincoln Orchestra. His big band charts have been performed by the University of North Texas lab bands, university jazz ensembles in Japan, Cornell University, Colorado State University, Denver University and Humber College in Toronto, Canada.

As an educator, Wil is in demand as both a saxophone and jazz clinician. In the Fall of 2009, Mr. Swindler joined the music faculty at Colorado State University as Associate Director of Jazz Studies where he teaches jazz theory, jazz composition/arranging, improvisation and directs Jazz Ensemble II. He is a frequent adjudicator for high school and college jazz festivals in the southwest and maintains a private saxophone/composition studio in the Denver area. Wil has served as an Adjunct Saxophone Teacher at Denver University, composition teacher for the Colorado Conservatory of the Jazz Arts, faculty at the Yellowstone Jazz Camp as well as the University of Northern Colorado Jazz Camp, and the Rocky Mountain Summer Music Camp.

Originally from Central Texas, Wil began studying music at age 5 and picked up the saxophone at age 9. He earned a B.M. in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas in 2001 where he played in, composed for, and recorded with the 1:00 Lab Band. In 2000 he attended the Henry Mancini Institute on a full scholarship from BMI and receieved a commission the following year from HMI for a piece premiered at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. In Sept 2001, Wil relocated to New York City, where he played with Toshiko Akiyoshi and Bill Warfield's NY Fusion Ensemble among others. During his time in New York, Wil studied saxophone with Dave Pietro and composition with Michael Abene and Jim McNeely as a member of the BMI Jazz Composers' Workshop. In 2003 he returned to his hometown of Austin, TX where he co-founded the 10-pc Chamber Jazz Ensemble and served as musical director for vocalist Kevin Ahart. Mr. Swindler has lived in Longmont, Colorado since March 2006 with his wife April Johannesen.

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Recordings

	Chamber Jazz Ensemble (NohJoh Music 2006) The Chamber Jazz Ensemble is the 10-pc group that I formed in Austin, TX with fellow composer, Stephen Smith in 2004. We released our album, Chamber Jazz Ensemble on October 22, 2006 on the NohJoh Music record label. The ablum features all original music performed by the top jazz musicians in Central Texas including Elias Haslanger, Eddy Hobizal, Andy Langham, Paul White, Pat Murray, John Mills, Joey Colarusso, John Vander Gheynst, Utah Hamrick, and our horn player, Mike Misner. Track 6 on this record the Wind-Up Bird was my winning submission for the 2008 IAJE Gil Evans Fellowship. >> [ Buy this CD from wilswindler.com ] >> [ Buy this CD from CDBaby ]
	9th+Lincoln The 9th+Lincoln Orchestra performs at Dazzle Restaurant and Lounge the last Sunday of every month. I play 2nd alto and provide many original compositions and arrangements for the group. This fine album is now available at 9thandLincoln.com in both hard copy and gdigital form. We recorded this in June of 2007. My original, Music for Prose and my arrangement of Björk's Aeroplane are included on this CD. The rest of the material is original music by band-leader Tyler Gilmore. >> [ Buy this CD from 9thandlincoln.com ]
	TOrcH - Before the Night is Over (2004) TOrcH is an Austin-based group lead by Seela Misra and Chris Vestre. This album features compositions and arrangements by Seela and Chirs as well as Seela's fine vocals. The rest of us on the CD are Jon Greene (drums), Chris Maresh (Bass), Ephram Owens (Trumpet), Chirs Verstre (Guitar), and Wil Swindler (Alto Saxophone). >> [ Buy this CD from CDBaby ]
	Kevin Ahart - the Austin Sessions I performed weekly at many different venues with Kevin Ahart for nearly 2 years as his musical director, arranger, and saxophonist. This CD was recorded in February 2006 and is not officially released on any label. It features Kevin's smoothe, young-sinatra-style vocals along with my arrangements and performance on alto and soprano saxophones. Also on the album are Spencer Starnes (Bass), Anthony belFigglio (Piano), Patrick Kennedy (Drums). You can buy this album by contacting Kevin.