Mike Conrad

Mike Conrad is a composer, improviser, and teacher from Iowa. He has been recognized for his arranging and composing with four ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards and seven DownBeat Awards, as well as awards and commissions from the Contemporary Music Academy in Beijing, the Bundesjazzorchester of Germany, the West Point Army Jazz Knights, and many other organizations. Conrad’s music has been performed all over the world, including a 2017 concert by the Metropole Orkest in the Netherlands, a 2014 Carnegie Hall Premiere, and a performance at the US Presidential Inauguration in 2013.

As a performer, he has toured China, played at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy, and appeared at various jazz festivals and venues all over the United States. Aside from his own projects like the All Angles Orchestra, the Mike Conrad Trio, and the co-led big band COLOSSUS, Conrad has enjoyed playing and recording with Alexa Tarantino, Dave Chisholm, the David Caffey Jazz Orchestra, the Bob Washut Dodectet, Christopher’s Very Happy. Band., and many other groups. Equally accomplished on both trombone and piano, Conrad truly loves collaborating with other musicians, and always brings his creativity and expressiveness to everything he does. Some of his recent projects include a reimagination of Beethoven’s 3rd symphony in collaboration with the Berlin-based Stegreif Orchester, and a suite of four big band pieces for the brand new Iowa Jazz Composers Orchestra, which he founded.

Dr. Conrad earned degrees from the University Northern Iowa (BM and BME), the Eastman School of Music (MM), and the University of Northern Colorado (DA). He is currently serving as Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies & Music Education at the University of Northern Iowa, where he directs Jazz Band Two and teaches courses/lessons in Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Pedagogy, Jazz Methods, Jazz Theory, Jazz Piano, Jazz Composition, and Jazz Arranging. Conrad is in high demand as a clinician and guest director for jazz bands, and he continues to come up with fresh and exciting works for a wide variety of ensembles. Many of his compositions and arrangements are published by UNC Jazz Press, ejazzlines, and his own website, www.mconradmusic.com.

Awards

“Spheres of a Genius” Jazz Composition Competition, JAM Music Lab/Vienna Radio Symphony; 2nd Prize, February 2018 Metropole Orchestra Arrangers Workshop with Vince Mendoza; Selected Participant/Featured Arranger, October, 2017 Downbeat Student Music Awards, Original Composition for Large Jazz Ensemble: Graduate College Outstanding Performance, June 2017; Graduate College Winner, June 2016; Graduate College Outstanding Performance, June 2014; Arrangement for Large Jazz Ensemble: Graduate College Outstanding Performance, June 2016; College Outstanding Performance, June 2011 ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards: Four-time Winner, 2014-2017 Maurice Ravel International Composition Contest (Milan, Italy): Finalist, December 2016 Arts Innovation Award, University of Northern Colorado, November 2016 Bundesjazzorchester (BuJazzO) Jazz Composition Competition, Trossingen, Germany: Runner-up, January 2016 Jazz Education Network Young Composer Showcase: Featured Composer/Composition, Gerry’s Timepiece, January 2016 Klezmer Company Orchestra Composition Contest: Winner, December 2015 ASMAC Pete Rugolo Big Band Arranging and Composing Competition: First Place, December 2015 Carnegie Music Exchange’s Arranging Ellington Competition: Winner for "Come Sunday," March 2014 Ray Wright Prize, Eastman School of Music, May 2013 Jack L. Frank Award for Excellence in Teaching, Eastman Community Music School, May 2013 New York Youth Symphony First Music Commission: Winner, December 2012 West Point Jazz Knights Composers Forum with Darcy James Argue: Finalist/First Prize Commission Winner, June 2012 Cultural Corridor Commission, Central New York Jazz, January 2012 Ithaca College Jazz Composers Competition: First Place, 2010

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