Jeff Tyzik

Jeff Tyzik (born Jeff Tkazyik, August 1, 1951) after being inspired by the buglers in an Independence Day parade in nearby Poughkeepsie. He switched to trumpet at age 11.

Career While 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. Oregon Symphony, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, The Florida Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Seattle Symphony. 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".

Personal life

Tyzik lives in Rochester with his wife, Jill. Their daughter is mezzo-soprano Jami Tyzik. John Tkazyik, former mayor of Poughkeepsie, is a second cousin.

Discography 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)