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Michael Moynihan

Searching for colors beyond the minds eye

About Me

Michael Moynihan is an adventurous saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and music educator. Born in Tucson, Michael began his professional career at the age of 14, and has since brought his music around the globe.

In 2006, Michael performed with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra as the winner of the high school division of the TSO Young Artist’s Competition. After graduating from high school and the Arizona Jazz Academy (now the Tucson Jazz Institute), he attended the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University and studied with master musicians James Moody, David Sanchez, David Baker, and Otis Murphy. He was hand picked to attend the exclusive Steans Music Institute at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, where he performed his original music with the top young jazz artists in the country, including Remy LaBoeuf and winner of the Thelonius Monk Competition, John Irabagon.

During a sabbatical from his university studies, Michael toured the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Botswana, and South Africa with Zimbabwean music legend Thomas Mapfumo as a member of his band The Blacks Unlimited. During this time, he also worked as a woodwind specialist aboard the vessels of Princess Cruises, where he saw the world and gained valuable professional experience.

Michael is a graduate of the University of Arizona, and he teaches saxophone, flute, and clarinet lessons at his home studio. He can be seen performing around the greater Tucson area at venues such as Centennial Hall, where he recently performed as a woodwind artist for Broadway in Tucson's presentations of The Book of Mormon and Chicago. Michael is passionate about delivering cutting-edge original music to the Tucson community, and and has just released his debut album, Chronicles!

My Jazz Story

I love jazz because it evokes the emotions and conditions that make us human. It reflects our realest selves. I was first exposed to jazz by my father who bought me my first jazz record, Blue Train, and let me listen to his Charlie Parker and Miles Davis CD's. The best show I ever attended was Kurt Rosenwinkel Quintet at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago with Mark Turner on saxophone, Jochen Ruckert on drums, and Joe Martin on bass. Rosenwinkel's song Ezra, dedicated to his son, moved me to tears. "Jazz is not where the spirit lies, it is where the heart lies. Let your spirit fly free, and your heart do the talking."