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Jeff Tyzik
Principal Pops Conductor
Jeff Tyzik has earned a reputation as one of America’s most innovative pops conductors, recognized for his brilliant arrangements, original programming, and engaging rapport with audiences of all ages. 2009-10 marks his sixteenth season as Principal Pops Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.
During his tenure, he has written over 160 works for the Orchestra and conducted Pops and classical concerts alike. On his classical series concerts, Tyzik has performed works by some of the greatest American composers to critical acclaim and conducted the premiere of his own Trombone Concerto, which was funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and subsequently performed at Carnegie Hall.
This season, Tyzik has been commissioned by the RPO to compose a timpani concerto for RPO timpanist Charles Ross which will be premiered in January on the Philharmonic series with RPO Music Director Christopher Seaman conducting. This past summer, the Rochester City Ballet choreographed and performed a ballet based on Tyzik’s composition Bravo! Colorado, which is recorded on the latest RPO CD Honor: Portraits of America.
Tyzik continues to serve as Principal Pops Conductor of the Oregon Symphony and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Highly sought-after as a guest conductor, he recently has appeared with The Boston Pops, the Detroit Symphony, the Dallas Symphony, and a return engagement with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Tyzik’s schedule also has included the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, New Jersey, Seattle, Monte Carlo, The Florida Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, among others.
A native of Hyde Park, N.Y., Jeff first picked up a cornet when he was nine years old. He studied both classical and jazz throughout high school, and went on to earn both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied composition/arranging with Radio City Music Hall’s Ray Wright, and jazz studies with the great band leader Chuck Mangione, both of whom profoundly influenced him as a musician.
Tyzik has produced a GRAMMY® Award-winning album, The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen, Vol. 1.
His compositions and arrangements have been recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra, the RPO, Summit Brass, Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Winnipeg Orchestra, the Eastman Wind Ensemble, and Doc Severinsen with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London. In May 2007, harmonia mundi released his RPO recording of works by Gershwin with pianist Jon Nakamatsu, which reached No. 3 on the Billboard classical chart. He also has produced and composed theme music for many of the major television networks and released six of his own albums.
Jeff Tyzik currently serves on the Board of Managers of the Eastman School of Music, and is a board member of the Hochstein School of Music and Dance. He lives in Rochester with his wife, Jill.
For more information about Jeff Tyzik, visit www.jefftyzik.com.
