Dr. Todd Gaffke enjoys a diverse musical career as a performer and educator. He has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States and in Europe performing a variety of modern saxophone works as well as classics and transcriptions. His playing has garnered numerous awards including DownBeat Magazine's Outstanding Classical Soloist, the Liberace Foundation Scholarship Competition winner, and 1st prize in the Plowman Chamber Music Competition. He has performed in the Blossom Festival Band and the Akron, Canton, Richmond, Flint, Saginaw, Midland, Jackson, and West Michigan Symphony Orchestras. He is a member of the Iovi Saxophone Quartet and the University of Akron Faculty Woodwinds. Active in professional organizations, Dr. Gaffke has performed/presented at the World Saxophone Congress, North American Saxophone Alliance national and regional conferences, the U.S. Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, International Clarinet Association conferences, American School Band Directors Association conference, and the Ohio Music Education Association Professional Development conference.
Dr. Gaffke is also adept in jazz repertoire. He has appeared at the Detroit Jazz Festival and Lansing Jazz Festival. Dr. Gaffke has performed with the UA Faculty Jazz Group, Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, DanJO Jazz Orchestra, Harry James Orchestra, and Lansing Symphony Big Band.
Dr. Gaffke is Associate Professor of Saxophone and Chair of Winds and Percussion at The University of Akron. Before coming to UA, he was Adjunct Instructor of Saxophone at Grand Valley State University and held Graduate Teaching Assistantships at Michigan State University and Central Michigan University. Dr. Gaffke earned a Bachelor of Music in Saxophone Performance from Central Michigan University, and a Master of Music in Saxophone Performance and Doctor of Musical Arts in Saxophone Performance with Jazz Cognate from Michigan State University. His primary teachers include Joseph Lulloff, John Nichol, and Rob Smith. Dr. Gaffke is a Yamaha Performing Artist and D'Addario Woodwinds Performing Artist.
