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Kinser Jazz Festival - 2007
The Casper College Kinser Jazz Festival is a noncompetitive event open to senior, junior high, and middle school jazz bands, combos and vocal groups. As a premier jazz festival in our region, students perform for and receive comments from nationally renowned jazz musicians and educators during the daytime sessions.
In an effort to foster greater cultural awareness among students, and celebrate the diversity within our community, the Casper College Kinser Jazz Festival will be presented as a LATIN JAZZ FESTIVAL in honor of its 40th year in jazz education. The featured artist for this year’s event will be Arturo Sandoval, and we are also pleased to host the Wyoming IAJE All-State Jazz Ensemble under the direction of well-known composer and educator Victor Lopez.
Arturo Sandoval is fluent in at least four musical languages. He can burn through an Afro-Cuban groove, tear up a bebop tune, soar over a Mozart concerto and sooth you with a luscious ballad; with equal power and grace.
Granted political asylum in July 1990 and US citizenship in 1999, Sandoval and his family now call Miami, Florida home. A protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, Sandoval was born in Artemisa, a small town in the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, on November 6, 1949, just two years after Gillespie became the first musician to bring Latin influences into American Jazz. Sandoval began studying classical trumpet at the age of twelve, but it didn’t take him long to catch the excitement of the jazz world. He has since evolved into one of the World’s most acknowledged guardians of jazz trumpet and flugel horn, as well as a renowned classical artist.
Sandoval was a founding member of the Grammy Award-winning group Irakere, whose explosive mixture of jazz, classical, rock and traditional Cuban music caused a sensation throughout the entertainment world. In 1981, he left Irakere to form his own band, which garnered enthusiastic praise from critics and audiences all over the world. Sandoval was voted Cuba ’ s Best Instrumentalist from 1982 to 1990.
Arturo Sandoval has been awarded 4 Grammy Awards, 6 Billboard Awards and an Emmy Award. The latter for his composing work on the entire underscore of the HBO movie based on his life, " For Love or Country " starring Andy Garcia. He is one of the most dynamic and vivacious live performers of our time, and has recently been seen by millions in the Grammy Awards performing with pop-phenomenon Justin Timberlake as well as on the Latin Billboard Awards with the gifted Alicia Keys, where he was awarded his 6th Billboard Awards for " Best Latin Jazz Album".
Not only is Arturo a tenured professor at Florida International University, but he works nationally and abroad with innumerable institutions and their music departments offering several scholarships, exercise books, clinics and seminars, and has rendered a considerable amount of time working with the NARAS educational program. Furthermore, Hal Leonard Publishing has not only released additional educations books with recorded CD ’ s that include original exercises by Sandoval, but has published various big band, combo and marching band charts from his award winning albums. Arturo Sandoval maintains one of the most extensive educational programs in the industry.
Sandoval is also a renowned classical musician, performing regularly with the leading symphony orchestras from around the world. Arturo has composed his own " Concerto for Trumpet & Orchestra" , which can be heard on " Arturo Sandoval: The Classical Album." Also, he has been chosen to perform with the foremost orchestras on primetime television, and was asked by John Williams to record on Williams’ original Trumpet Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra. His classical artistry has earned him the respect and admiration from the most prestigious conductors, composers and symphony orchestras world-wide.
Arturo Sandoval ’s versatility can be heard on recordings with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Woody Shaw, Michael Legrand, Bill Conti, and Stan Getz to Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, Gloria Estefan , Willy Chirino , Paul Anka, Rod Stewart and Alicia Keys amongst many others. He has performed with Celine Dione at the Oscars, John Williams with the Boston Pops, and in the Super bowl with Tony Bennet and Patti LaBelle. His playing can also be heard on Dave Grusin ’ s soundtrack for " Havana " , in the " Mambo Kings " soundtrack with his Grammy nominated composition " Mambo Caliente " , in the soundtrack of " The Perez Family " , was commissioned by the Kennedy Center to compose the music for the ballet of " Pepito ’ s Story " choreographed by Debbie Allen, and, as mentioned above, he was awarded an Emmy for his composing work on the entire underscore of the HBO movie based on his life, " For Love or Country " starring Andy Garcia.
Arturo Sandoval reaches beyond the scope of mere effort. His struggles while in Cuba and since his defection have given him more energy and strength, urging him to accomplish and surpass his childhood dreams. Filled with a virtuoso capability, he desires nothing more than to share his gift with others who feel the same intense adoration for music as he does. One frequently speaks of Arturo Sandoval ’ s virtuoso technical ability or his specialty in high notes, but he who has seen him on the piano, lyrically improvising a ballad, or has had the opportunity to enjoy the diversity of his music, through his compositions from the most straight ahead jazz, Latin jazz or classical, knows that Arturo Sandoval is a prominent musician, and one recognizes that Arturo is one of the most brilliant and proliferous musicians of our time.
Grammy in the Schools Program
Mr. Sandoval has been involved in this program that has aided in using the notoriety of the Grammy Awards to help in inspiring young school children and educating them in a most effective way. He has not only participated in their American Philharmonic Tour, bu also, when at the Grammy awards the last two years, he has performed with the all star band at various perfomrances surrounding this event.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra Educational Committee
He serves on this committee, whose responsibility is to oversee the activities of the Orchestra with regards to young and culturally expanding audiences.
"Arturo Sandoval Trumpet Scholarship" University of Central Oklahoma
After a recent performance/clinic at the university, they created this scholarship in his honor. This scholarship is unique in that it is a joint venture between the university and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. It will encompass both the jazz and classical fields.
"Arturo Sandoval's Dizzy Gillespie Trumpet Scholar Award" at the Lionel Hampton School of Music, University of Idaho
"Upon the passing of friend and mentor Dizzy, we created this scholarship to honor this master and keep his name and legacy alive by giving the opportunity to young talented musicians that may not otherwise receive the best possible education." "This is the best way I can pay my respects and honor a man that was and is my greatest inspiration along with being instrumental in obtaining freedom for my family and I."
Florida International University
Mr. Sandoval is a full time professor at the university and thus serves not only as a teacher but as an inspiration to this program. "Arturo Sandoval Trumpet Scholarship" was created in 1996 and awards low income students that have high level of talent and/or skill in the music and academic fields.
Walt Disney World
Mr. Sandoval is the first inductee to their Music Hall of Fame, and has become an integral part of their educational program, performing and giving clinics to their music students various times a year.
University/College/High School - Performance and Clinics
Mr. Sandoval is performing over 25 concerts and clinics per year at different educational institutions throughout the world. (See list of some US educational institutions which follows).
Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz
A nonprofit educational organization created to offer the world's most promising young musicians, college level training by America's jazz masters. Sandoval not only has been an integral part of their clinics around the United States, but was also the judge at the 1997 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Trumpet Competition in Washington D.C. The Monk Institute has, for the past two years, produced a network television special called "Celebration of America's Music" hosted by Bill Cosby and featuring Arturo Sandoval alongside George Benson, Dave Brubeck, Aretha Franklin, and David Samborn amongst others.
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"Arturo Sandoval is the sort of virtuoso artist who comes along only once or twice in a generation."
- LONDON EVENING STAR
"... arguably the most prodigious trumpeter of his generation.., a showman to the tips of his toes.., imperiously and dashingly in charge of the resources of his trumpet."
- THE GUARDIAN
"Sandoval reaches notes most trumpet players barely know." - WASHINGTON STAR > " Possessing some of jazz's fiercest chops.."
- NEW YORK POST
"... if you can imagine the burst of a young Gillespie, the roaring of Fats Navarro and the sweet and light articulation of Clifford Brown, then you have some idea of what (Sandoval) can do."
- LONDON OBSERVER
"He's one of the best. He has a very athletic style, but can play softly too. He's got bull chops!"
- DIZZY GILLESPIE
"Mr. Sandoval's playing is unabashedly spectacular, yet he uses his technique with dramatic finesse."
- NEW YORK TIMES
"... Arturo Sandoval exudes the true "Joy of Music" in everything he does... long may he reign!"
- JOHN WILLIAMS
"Sandoval's horn of plenty, trumpeter places no limits on music."
- THE WASHINGTON TIMES