All-State High School and Junior All-State Jazz Ensemble

January 11-12, 2024
as part of the Indiana Education Music Association 2022 State Conference
Fort Wayne, Indiana


Mike Tomaro - All-State High School Jazz Ensemble

Mike Tomaro has been the Director of the Jazz Studies Program at the Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA since 1997. This saxophonist, composer, arranger and educator earned his B.S. degree in Music Edu­cation from Duquesne University and his M.A. degree in Saxophone Perfor­mance from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. Prior to his appointment at Duquesne, he lived in the Washington, D.C. area for seventeen years as a member of the Army Blues Jazz Ensemble, a unit of the prestigious "Pershing's Own" U.S. Army Band. While a member of this group, he served as its Enlisted Musical Director and performed for Presidents Reagan, Bush and Clinton as well as heads of state from around the world. He also composed and/or arranged much of the Army Blues repertoire and was featured as a soloist on several of the group's albums and CDs. Mike is a Yamaha Performing Artist and endorses Vandoren reeds, mouthpieces and ligatures exclusively.

As a performer, Mike has worked with such diverse artists and groups as Rosemary Clooney, Ray Charles, Michael Feinstein, Linda Ronstadt, Debby Boone, Johnny Mathis, Wayne Bergeron, Terence Blanchard, Louis Bellson, Terry Gibbs, Dizzy Gillespie Tribute Big Band, Woody Herman Orchestra and the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, where he is featured on their DVD, "Live at MCG." In his hometown, he has performed with guitarist Joe Negri, Pittsburgh Jazz Legacy Band, Pittsburgh Symphony, River City Brass Band, Pittsburgh Ballet and Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble in addition to leading his own small groups.

Mike is the co-artistic director (with trumpeter Sean Jones) and lead alto player of the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, the city's premier big band, where he composes and arranges most of the material that group performs. In 2015, the band released its first CD, "Joyful Jazz," on the MCG Jazz label; the album contains 11 arrangements by Tomaro. It has garnered rave reviews including a four-star rating in Downbeat magazine and was selected as one of the top seven holiday albums of 2015 by the Wall Street Journal. Through the PJO, Mike is also Artistic Director of the National Jazz Workshop at Duquesne University, a week-long summer workshop for aspiring jazz musicians.


Terry Fisher - Junior All-State Jazz Ensemble

Bio coming soon!



Audition Information

Audition Procedure

  • Directors must be members of IJEA in good standing
  • Students (with director and/or parental assistance) are to fill out the online registration form and pay the audition fee of $16 .
ALL-STATE Jazz Application Form
(coming October 27th)
JUNIOR ALL-STATE Jazz Application Form
(coming October 27th)

 

  • Complete and detailed instruction on how to record and submit your recordings, please click on the document below:
All-State Jazz Ensemble Audition
and Recording Instructions
(Coming Soon)
Junior All-State Jazz Ensemble Audition
and Recording Instructions
(Coming Soon)
  • For students who do not have access to recording technology at their home or school, arrangements can be made to allow you to complete the audition. Several directors have already volunteered their services in this regard. To make these arrangements, please contact Pete Sampson at psampson@cpcsc.k12.in.us.

Audition Timeline

October 1st - Audition Materials Available

October 27th - All State Application open

November 10th - Last day for All State applications/auditions

November 22nd - All-State Rosters are posted

Thursday, Jan 11th - AM arrival

Friday Jan 12th - early afternoon performance in Fort Wayne, IN at the IMEA State Convention


Performing Member Information

Coming soon!