Mike Tomaro is the Director of Jazz Studies at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. This saxophonist, flutist, clarinetist, composer, arranger and educator earned his B.S. in Music Education from Duquesne University and his M.A. in Performance from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. Mike is a former member of the Army Blues jazz ensemble. He has nationally released recordings under his own name that showcase his talents as both performer and writer – Forgotten Dreams, Dancing Eyes and Home Again, and has been featured on many others in both capacities.
As a composer and arranger, Mike's music has been performed by the likes of jazz greats Nancy Wilson, Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, Ernie Watts, Bobby Shew, New York Voices, Al Vizzutti and many more. Doug Beach Music, Hal Leonard Publications and Walrus Music have published over seventy of his compositions and arrangements. As a performer, Mike has worked with such diverse artists and groups as Rosemary Clooney, Ray Charles, Nancy Wilson, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Mathis, Terence Blanchard, Dizzy Gillespie Tribute Big Band, New York Voices and Woody Herman Orchestra. Locally, he has performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Pittsburgh Ballet, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Roger Humphries Big Band and Latin jazz group Algo Latino, in addition to leading his own small groups and big band.
He is a member of the International Association for Jazz Education, where he is a member of its resource team in the area of arranging and composition. He is also affiliated with the American Society of Composers and Publishers, where he has received an ASCAP Plus Award and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Mike is in great demand both nationally and internationally as a guest soloist, adjudicator and clinician.
