Saxophonist and educator Dan Gelok is internationally recognized and sought-after as an outstanding performer and teacher of classical saxophone music. He received his Bachelor's degree in Music Education from Indiana University and his Master’s degree in Saxophone Performance from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He holds the title of Instructional Assistant Professor of Saxophone at the University of Houston. His teachers include Otis Murphy, Lynn Klock, and David Baker.
He has been featured in solo and chamber music performances at the New England Saxophone Symposium, the North American Saxophone Alliance regional and national conferences, the Northeastern Texas Saxophone Symposium, and Cape Cod's Falmouth Academy. He has performed as a soloist in China, Singapore, and multiple cities in the United States. He has been invited as a soloist at Singapore's Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts' Commuter Concert Series, the Hwa Chong Institute Orchestra, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and the Singapore Saxophone Symposium, where he also presented a lecture on the history of the saxophone.
As a performer of new music he has worked closely with composers such as Zach Browning, Bill Ryan, Rob Smith, Kawai Shiu, Zechariah Goh, and Christian Lauba. He has recordings on the Ablaze and Resolute Music record labels, and is also a member of Echo Rogue Quartet, a group dedicated to the performance and proliferation of avant-garde chamber music for the saxophone.
As an educator, Gelok also maintains a private studio of students ranging in experience from beginner to the collegiate level. Internationally sought-after as a teacher, he has received master class invitations from Stephen F. Austin University, the Northeast Texas Saxophone Symposium, the Artists Academy (Singapore) Summer Workshop Series, the Dalian Arts School (China), and the Singapore Saxophone Symposium. His students have received top honors and awards from prestigious competitions such as the Texas State MTNA competition, the Texas All-State Band system, the Fischoff competition, and the NASA soloist competition. In addition, he founded and serves as Director of the Houston Underground Saxophone Quartet Competition, an independent chamber music contest for high school students.
Gelok is a Yamaha Performing Artist and plays exclusively on Yamaha Saxophones.
