The professor of music had two articles published in the professional saxophone journal.
Professor of Music Thomas Erdmann had two 6,000-word articles published in the May/June 2016 issue of Saxophone Today.
The first article is on New York based classical and jazz saxophonist, flautist and composer Daniel Schnyder. Schnyder has been commissioned to compose pieces for the most prestigious musical organizations in the world including the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in New York, the Tonkuenstler Orchestra in Vienna, the Radio Symphony Orchestrra in Berlin, The Norrlands Operan in Sweden, the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Vienna Art Orchestra, the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, the Opera of Bern, the NDR Orchestra in Hannover, the NDR Big Band in Germany, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra, the Postclassical Ensemble in Washington D.C., the Pacific Symphony Orchestra and Opera Philadelphia, among others.
Schnyder’s new Opera Abraham was premiered in Duesseldorf in November 2014 and his opera, Charlie Parker’s Yardbird, a commission by Opera Philadelphia, was recently premiered in New York at the Apollo Theater on April 1-3, 2016, before moving on to Chicago and Madison, Wisconsin in 2017. Additionally he garnered a Grammy nomination for the album Absolution (Enja Nova) featuring his Bass Trombone Concerto for David Taylor. He has won numerous awards for his chamber music including first prize at the 1996 International Trumpet Guild’s Composition Contest for his Brass Trio, and others from the International Flute Association, the International Clarinet Association, the City of Zurich, Pro Helvetia, the National Art Council of Switzerland, the American Symphony League and Meet the Composer, to name a few.
As a saxophonist Schnyder has toured with his trio including trombonist David Taylor and pianist Kenny Drew Jr. playing the music of Bach, Gershwin, Vivaldi, Wagner and Ellington, in addition to Schnyder’s own compositions. Among the others who have played in Schnyder-led jazz groups include trumpeter Lew Soloff, bassist Michael Formanek, pianist Kenny Drew Jr., violinist Mark Feldman and drummer Marvin “Smitty” Smith. Schnyder not only excels at playing brilliantly in both classical and jazz genres, but he’s worked as composer/arranger/producer for top jazz artists like Paquito D’Rivera, Abdullah Ibrahim and Lee Konitz.
The other article is on jazz saxophonist Gregory Tardy. As a youth, Tardy excelled as a classical clarinetist, studying with Russell Dagon of the Milwaukee Symphony and Jack Snavely, who at the time taught at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. After Tardy’s brother turned him onto John Coltrane, saxophone became preeminent in the young musician’s life. Moving to his birthplace, New Orleans, after time in Milwaukee and St. Louis, Tardy studied with master pedagogue Ellis Marsalis. While there Tardy picked up gigs with local brass bands as well as with The Neville Brothers and Allen Toussaint.
Starting in 1993 Tardy joined Elvin Jones’ Jazz Machine band and moved to New York in 1994, quickly becoming a staple in many of the cutting edge jazz combos of the day. In 1999 Tardy joined jazz legend Andrew Hill’s bands during the pianist’s resurgence, gaining even wider prominence. Currently teaching at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tardy has also lately brought the clarinet back as a focal point in his playing. Carlo Wolff sums up the artist excellently when he writes, Tardy’s “ascents are muscular, his occasionally astringent chordal juxtapositions and quick-ripple flurries add welcome textural depth, but even at (his) most declamatory his playing bends joyfully heavenward.” Among the top-echelon of today’s best jazz artists who have called upon Tardy’s brilliance are Don Byron, Betty Carter, Dave Douglas, Bill Frisell, Tom Harrell, Andrew Hill, Elvin Jones, Wynton Marsalis and Nicholas Payton.