LeBAM International Summer Band Camp 2017
Notre Dame University, Zouk Mosbeh
July 21st – July 29th
Guest Faculty 2017
Mr. Tim Libby, Guest Conductor
Tim Libby is currently in his sixteenth year as Director of Bands at Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, Colorado. He graduated in 1996 from the University of Northern Colorado with degrees in Music Education and Trumpet Performance. Mr. Libby is an active clinician/adjudicator and works with all levels of students from Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Washington, and Wyoming. A year ago, Tim was selected as Colorado Teacher of the Year, the third fine arts person in the history of the Cherry Creek School District to receive this award. Mr. Libby is honored to be returning as a guest conductor for the 2017 LeBAM International Summer Band Camp.
Mr. Butch Eversole, Guest Conductor
Raleigh “Butch” Eversoleis the band director at Palmer Ridge High School in Monument, Colorado, and has taught instrumental music for 23 years. He serves as the current president of the Colorado Music Educators Association. Butch holds a Bachelor of Arts in music education from Shepherd University and a Master of Music in saxophone from the University of Northern Colorado. Mr. Eversole was the 2010 Colorado designee in School Band and Orchestra magazine’s “50 Directors Who Make a Difference,” and was named the 2012 “Distinguished Arts Teacher” by the Pikes Peak Arts Council.
Mr. Sébastien Thomas Bagnoud, Guest Conductor
Sébastien Bagnoud has conducted wind ensembles and orchestras in Switzerland for over a decade. He is also credited with founding a professional ensemble in Sion, the Sedunum String Orchestra, SSO. In 2014 he was charged by the festival Les Sommets du Classique in Crans-Montana (Switzerland), with assembling and conducting its orchestra in residence. Sébastien made his opera debut in the summer of 2014 in Lausanne while assisting A. Zielinski in a production of Britten´s The Turn of the Screw. In the summer of 2015 he accepted a last-minute offer to replace the musical director in l´Opéra du Rhône in Valais (Switzerland), production of Rossini´s Guillaume Tell in the Martigny amphitheater. In 2015 he was also named the musical assistant conductor for the production of Weber´s Der Freischütz at the Plzeň opera J.K. Tyl, in the Czech Republic. This season, he also regularly conducted the opera Onegin of Tchaikovsky.Sébastien Bagnoud has had the opportunity to collaborate with the following orchestras: Palermo Giovanile Mediterranea Orchestra, Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, Prague Philharmonia PKF, Akademičtí komorní sólisté AKS Prague, the Prague Opera Studio orchestra, the Opera du Rhône Orchestra and the Plzeň J. K. Tyl Opera Orchestra.
Sébastien Bagnoud holds a pre-professional certificate in wind ensemble conducting from J.-C. Kolly´s class at the Conservatoire de Fribourg, a Bachelor of Music and a Master in conducting orchestra from the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne (HEMU), along with a professional diploma (DAS) in orchestra conducting, at the Haute École de Musique de Berne (HKB). From September 2014, as part of the Erasmus program, he studied at the Academy of Music in Prague (HAMU).
Sébastien is a recipient of the foundation Irène Dénéréaz education scholarship. Since autumn 2015, he pursued a second Master in orchestra and opera conducting at the Music Academy in Prague.
Mr. Craig Westwood, Guest Conductor
Craig Westwood is the Band Director at Cherry Creek West Middle School. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Colorado Christian University and a Master’s Degree in Wind and Percussion Pedagogy from The American Band College at Southern Oregon University. He is an active performer in the Denver/Boulder area as a Percussionist, primarily playing drum-set.
Mr. Jim Kulpa, Guest Conductor
A native of Trumbull, Connecticut, Jim is currently teaching music at The American School of Doha. Prior to his arrival in Qatar, Jim was Director of Bands at Middlesex High School in Saluda, Virginia. During his time in Virginia, Mr. Kulpa directed and performed with many different ensembles including The Rappahannock Community Choir, The Northern Neck Orchestra, The Northern Neck Big Band, and The Baytones Barbershop Choir. Jim is also the founding member of The Steptoe Brass, a semiprofessional brass quintet that performed throughout eastern Virginia. Jim has also been a guest conductor/clinician in Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
A graduate of The University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Jim studied trumpet with Walter Chestnut, Dr. Daniel D’Addio, and Glenn Fischthal. While at UMASS he performed with the Wind Ensemble, The Five College Orchestra, and was the founding member of Naturally Brass. Jim studied conducting with E. Wayne Abercrombie, Malcolm W. Rowell, Jr, and Ron Steele.
Jim can be heard on Centaur Records on The Wind Music of Charles Bestor.
Mrs. Ana Chifu, Flute
One of the most active and recognized performers and supporters to promote the classical and new-modern music in Romania, Greece and throughout Europe, Ana Chifu studied flute in Bucharest, in Dortmund, Germany and Paris, having won seven international and national awards and prizes. Her concert activity brought her in countries like France, Holland, Germany, Poland, India, Korea, Ireland, Italy, Finland, Bulgaria and Greece.
Ana worked in the educational program of the Greek National Opera House “Opera Interactive in Primary Schools” throughout elementary schools in all the Greek territory and now she is collaborating with the Athens Symphony Orchestra as principal flute and is a memberof the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra of Athens. Ana has worked with the Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra “George Enescu”. She is a member of the Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra of Bucharest and a member of the contemporary music ensembles Profil-Sinfonietta, Propuls, devotion Moderna, Opus.art, InterArt and SonoMania. Ana is a founding member of the Syncretic group of contemporary arts seduCant, creating and taking part in interactive multimedia shows both as a musician (flute, flutes and percussion) and as a dancer.
Ana played solo concerts with the Orchestre de Flytes Français, the Concerto Orchestra, Lyceum Strings Orchestra and Profil-Sinfonietta.
She has taken an active part in contemporary music festivals such as International Festival of Contemporary Music “Warsaw Autumn” - Poland, International Week of New Music- Romania, Meridian Festival- Romania, Hilltown New Music Festival- Ireland, “Tom Johnson” Festival- Germany, the Festival of Contemporary Music Happoman (Masan, South Korea).
In 2012 obtained her doctorate degree from the National University of Music in Bucharest, receiving “summa cum laude” (highest) praise, writing about the music of the 20th and 21st century. The book is in the process of publication.
Recently, Ana invited to ARFA (Romanian Association of women in Art) and is now an active member.
Future performances include recitals and chamber music concerts in Switzerland and Austria, as well as solo performances with orchestra in India.
Ana is an active member (in activities such as in India, Fukushima-Japan, Greece, Amazon, Sierra Leone and other parts of the world) of the non-profit organization Keys of Change (www.keysofchange.org). The Keys of Change is a charitable organization made up of people with different backgrounds who believe deeply that playing and sharing music can make this world a better place. Founded in 2011 to promote the improvement and upgrading of the lives of children and youth around the world through music education and access to live performances of classical music.
Ms. Marita Kohler, Oboe
Marita Kohler started to learn the oboe with Barbara Zumthurm in Lucerne and got her Bachelor [2011] and Master of Arts in Music Performance – Orchestra with mention‚excellent‘ in 2013 in the class of Prof. Simon Fuchs at Zürcher Hochschule der Künste [Zurich, CH]. From 2013-2015, she refined her instrumental playing in Lyon [F] in the class of Prof. Jean-Louis Capezzali and Prof. Jérôme Guichard at Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse.
Next to regular soloistic performances Marita Kohler devotes herself with enthousiasm to orchestra playing and chamber music. During the season of 2012/2013 she completed a voluntary service in Philharmonia Zurich [Zurich Opera Orchestra]. Over the intervening years of her young carreer she has gained a lot of experience by playing in various orchestras such as the Davos Festival [CH], International Summer Academy Pommersfelden [Germany], Swiss Youth Symphony Orchestra, Young Philharmonic Orchestra Valiant and others. Nowadays, she’s Solo Oboist at Neues Orchester Basel and member of Basel Sinfonietta. Regularly, she follows invitations to orchestras such as Philharmonia Zurich, Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, Teatro Regio die Torino, Orchestre National de Lyon, MusicAeterna, Kammerphilharmonie Graubünden etc. Latest invitations led her to play in Shanghai Opera Festival and to Diaghilev Festival Perm for concerts and CD recordings of Mahler 6th conducted by Teodor Currentzis.
In chamber music, Marita Kohler is member of the original reed ensemble NEXUS reed quintet, founded in 2010. This quintet, wich unites Oboe/Cor Anglais, Clarinet, Saxophone, Bass Clarinet and Bassoon has known a big success during the past years. Invitations have led the ensemble to tour in Russia, France and the United Kingdom. In Switzerland, the group is on the program of all the most important classic festivals. The five young players have been awarded prices at the Orpheus Chamber Music Competition [first price, 2013], Musique d’ensembles European Chamber Music Competition [Special price, 2014] and the Swiss Ambassador’s Award [2016].
Marita Kohler got important musical inputs from well-known oboists such as Peter Fuchs, Martin Frutiger, Maurice Bourgue, Günther Passin, Philipp Mahrenholz, Christian Hommel. She was awarded prices at the Dienemann foundation solo competition [first price, 2016], Lions Club Competition for Oboe [2011] and Concours International d'Exécution musicale in Riddes [2012].
Mr. George Georgiou, Clarinet
George Georgiou earned a Bachelor of Music Degree and a Master of Arts Degree in Performance Studies degrees from City University, under the supervision of Professor Rhian Samuel. Also, he studied clarinet with Julian Farrell and Joy Farral at Guildhall School of Music and Drama. As soloist he has appeared with CUSO and Moscow Virtuosi and has collaborated with several musicians around the globe such as cellist Rohan de Saram, Movses Pogossian, Chilingirian String Quartet, Vladimir Spivakov to name a few.
He presented recitals in Cyprus, UK, Ireland, Greece, Malta, Italy and USA. His interest at contemporary music had let him to give many premiers in Cyprus as well as work together with many Cypriot composers in their new works. He has performed many premier works by Cypriot composers for clarinet or bass clarinet.Mr. Georgiou is the founder of Cyprus Clarinet Studio, musician-in-residence Avaton Contemporary Music Festival and a member of Evohe Wind Quintet, Claretini Quartet, Chronos Ensemble and artistic director of Music at the Museum concert series.
Since 2014 he is a member of Mensa International.
Dr. Yiannis Miralis, Saxophone
Yiannis Miralis is Associate Professor of Music Education and Saxophone at European University Cyprus. As the first Cypriot classical saxophonist he has given numerous solo and chamber performances in Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Sweden, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Serbia, Finland, Germany, Canada, and the USA, including performances at a number of national and international saxophone conferences. He was the first saxophone soloist with the Cyprus State Chamber Orchestra and he also appeared as soloist with the Macedonian Saxophone Quartet, the Ensemble Philharmonia and the Cyprus State Orchestra. He has been a member of the Macedonian Saxophone Quartet with which they performed at the Cultural Olympiad of Athens 2004 and at a five-concert tour of Switzerland with the Orchestre de Chambre de Neuchâtel. As a member of the acclaimed Transcontinental Saxophone Quartet (TSQ) he was a prizewinner of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) National Collegiate Chamber Music Competition and the prestigious Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. They have collaborated for a series of concerts with the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Cyprus Tourism Organization. They have also performed at the renowned Ravenna Music Festival in Italy and they appeared as soloists with the Royal Belgian Air Force Band and with the Concordia College Orchestra in Minneapolis. Their first CD “Mountain Roads,” (Albany Records) received outstanding reviews. He is also a member of the Mediterranean Trio, a chamber music group with saxophone, violin and piano, with which he performed at such venues such as the Beethovenhouse in Bonn.
Miralis has a genuine interest in expanding the saxophone repertoire and has commissioned numerous saxophone works by various composers in the USA and Cyprus, premiering them in Chicago, Appleton and Nicosia. In addition to his activities as a saxophonist, he is also the conductor of the Symphonic Band of Strovolos Municipality-European University Cyprus and the Wind Band of the Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Miralis holds music education degrees from Michigan State University (PhD), Bowling Green State University (MM) and Lawrence University (BM), where he was a Fulbright scholar. His primary saxophone teachers were Steve Jordheim, John Sampen and Joe Lulloff. He has taught at the University of Cyprus, ARTE Music Academy, University of Windsor, Flint Institute of Music and Michigan State University Community Music School. From 2001-2004 he served as Assistant Professor of Saxophone and Music Education at the Lionel Hampton School of Music at the University of Idaho. He is a member of the Clarinet and Saxophone Society of Great Britain, founding member of the Hellenic Saxophone Association (HSA), president of the Cypriot Saxophone Association Saxophonia, as well as board member of the European Chamber Music Teachers’ Association (ECMTA) and member of the Forum for Instrumental and Vocal Teaching of ISME.
Ms. Rachel Seay, Horn
After graduating from high school at the Interlochen Arts Academy, Rachel attended the University of Oregon, graduating Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Horn Performance. She received her Master’s Degree in Horn Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and is currently working toward a Doctorate of Musical Arts at Arizona State University. Music-making has taken Rachel around the globe, with performances in the United States, Mexico, Italy, Australia and to her newest position as Instructor of Brass and Ensembles at the Qatar Music Academy in Doha, Qatar.
Mr. Antonio Marti , Trumpet
Antonio Marti, Principal Trumpet of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, has been granted tenure, effective immediately. Antonio Marti began his studies at the Tenerife Superior Conservatory with Francisco Ramos, principal trumpet of the Municipal Band of Tenerife, and Agustin Ramos, trumpet professor at Tenerife Conservatory. He earned a Bachelor of Music Degree with Honors in 1998, and moved to New York City where he studied at the Mannes College of Music with Vincent Penzarella, assistant principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic. Antonio graduated with a second Bachelor of Music Degree with Honors in May 2003. As a soloist he has performed with the New York Chamber Orchestra, The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, and many others. His orchestral professional experience includes Madrid Symphony Orchestra (acting Principal 2012); the MKO Munich Kammerata Orchestra (Principal 2011 & 2012); the Tokyo Symphony (Principal trumpet from 2003 to 2009); and the New York.
Philharmonic (extra player 2001-2002). Antonio Marti served as a Yamaha Artist during his time in Japan, and currently, is a Stomvi Artist, one of the top professional trumpet manufacturers in the world.
Mr. Ximo Vicedo, Trombone
Ximo has an unsurpassable sound with an ability and freedom that can only be boasted only by the greatest trombonists in the world. He is Principal at Spanish Radio Television Symphony Orchestra. Also, Ximo is currently teaching at Escuela Superior Katarina Gurska (Madrid) and Alicante Brass Academy.
As a soloist he has played with the Symphony Orchestra of RTVE, National Youth Orchestra of Spain, Orchestre du Prix de CSMDP, Albacete’s Orchestra, CSMA Wind Band, Barcelona, Santiago de Compostela, Bilbao and Madrid Wind Band, and the Valencia Orchestra at the closing concert of the ITF 2015.
His passion for Pedagogy and Education, have led him to coach Spanish youth orchestras and presentmasterclasses and recitals throughout Spain, Portugal, France, Brasil, Italy, México and Colombia. He taught at the Conservatorio Superior de Aragón from 2002 to 2013.
XimoVicedo’s first solo CD, “LO SOÑADO”, is the highlight of many years of hard work and dedication that can be summed up as “the sound of his dreams”.
XimoVicedo is Stomvi Artist. www.ximovicedo.com
Mr. Constantin Hartwig, Tuba
Constantin Hartwig was born in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Germany in 1992, and began playing the tuba as a 13-year-old. After receiving initial instruction on the tuba from his father Rainer Hartwig for one year, he attended the Musikhochschule in Saar, Germany as a pre-college student of Ralf Rudolph and then went on to study with Jens Bjorn-Larsen at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media in 2012.
In2016,Constantin Hartwig successfully entered two important music competitions:He was named a prize-winner at both the German Music Competitionas wellas the Aeolus International Competition for Wind Instruments.
He was also a prize-winner at several national and international competitions with his brass quintet LJO-Brass, which was founded in 2007. The ensemble earned a place among leading professional ensemblesby winning the Jan Koetsier Competition in 2010 and was recognized by German broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk for chamber music performances of the highest caliber.
He has performed as a regular member of numerous renowned German orchestras and ensembles. After a short-term contract with the Dortmund Philharmonic, he made guest appearances with the Diisseldorf Symphony, the Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra, German Brass, Ensemble Modern, The German State Philharmonic of Rhineland-Palatinate, the Munich Symphony and the Hessisches Staats theater Wiesbaden, to mention only a few.
Constantin Hartwig appeared as a guest artist at the Rheingau Music Festival, the Heidelberger Friihling, the Mosel Music Festival, the Weilburg Schlosskonzerte, the Hitzacker Summer Music Festival and the Mittelrhein Music Festival. He gained further musical insight by taking part in master classes given by Stefan Ambrosius, Wilfried Brandstotter, Stefan Tischler, Stefan Heimann, Jorg Wachsmuth and Jurgen Wirth.
Mr. Gabriel Barani, Percussion
As of 1 November 2016, Gabi Barani was appointed percussionist with the Dunshan Symphonic Wind Orchestra in Beijing. Prior to this appointment, Gabi held the position of percussionist/timpanist with the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra (Lebanon) from 2007 to 2013. From 2002-2006, Gabi held a full-time position with the Brasov Philharmonic Orchestra (Romania) as well as performed on a regular basis with several major orchestras in Romania including the George Enesco Philharmonic, Romanian National Radio Orchestra, Bucharest Symphony Orchestra, Sibiu State Philharmonic, Brasov Opera, Pitesti Philharmonic, and the Bucharest Wind Ensemble.
In 2015, Gabi earned his Master of Music Degree in Percussion Performance from University of Northern Colorado. His Bachelor of Music Degree in Percussion Performance was awarded by the University of Transylvania in 2006.As an educator, Gabi taught percussion lessons at the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music, and the Lebanese Band Association for Music from 2007 to 2013. In addition, he taught at the Lebanon International Summer Band Camp, held annually during the summers in Beirut, Lebanon. While a teaching assistant at the University of Northern Colorado, Gabi taught individual percussion lesson as well as conducted several percussion ensembles. From 2010 to 2013, Gabi was the jazz drum set player in the Lebanese Conservatory Big Band directed by Dr. Gene Aitken, and has been active as a freelance drum set player performing a variety of music genres.
Mr. Brad Broomfield, Percussion
Brad Broomfield is one the most exciting and versatile young percussionists on the international performance scene today. Currently, Brad serves as the Principal Percussionist/Timpanist of the Jordanian National Orchestra as well as Instructor of Western & Arab Percussion at the National Music Conservatory in Amman, Jordan. Prior to this appointment, he toured internationally as Featured Percussionist/Snare Drum Soloist with the Tony & Emmy Award-winning Broadway show, Blast! Additionally, Brad was a percussionist & teaching artist with YOA Orchestra of the Americas for their Central American Tour in which the ensemble recorded an album with Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero that recently won a 2015 Latin Grammy for best Classical Album. As a solo artist, he has performed as a featured guest and adjudicator at the 5th & 6th China International Percussion Festival & Competition, Festival Internacional de Honduras, and PAS Days of Percussion in the US. Parallel to his career in western music, Brad specializes in music of the Middle Eastern & African diasporas. He has performed with Kulu Mele African Music and Dance Ensemble, Alokli West African Dance, The Philadelphia Arab Music Ensemble, and Ologunde Folkloric Afro-Brazilian Troupe, to name a few.
As an educator, Brad has given workshops, clinics, and masterclasses all over the world on a wide variety of percussion instruments and styles. While in Philadelphia, he taught Afro-Cuban percussion at the University of Pennsylvania and was a guest lecturer at Temple University in addition to providing daily instruction to underserved, inner-city youth through several after-school music initiatives. Brad co-founded a project called Drumming for Social Change which uses music, song, and dance from various cultures around the world to engage, inform, and inspire youth and adults from a variety socio-economic backgrounds in the US and abroad. Additionally, he is a graduate of Youth Orchestra of the America›s prestigious Global Leaders Fellowship Program. Brad received his bachelors and masters degrees from University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Temple University, respectively, where he studied with Alan Abel, Christopher Deviney, Don Liuzzi, Troy Breaux, & Jeff Prosperie. Brad is a proud endorser of Innovative Percussion Sticks & Mallets.
Mr. Gilbert Mansour, Percussion
Percussionist Gilbert Mansour began his musical studies at the Lebanese National Conservatory of Music at the age of 10, focusing on Middle Eastern and Classical Percussion instruments. Gilbert recently graduated from the renowned Berklee College of Music, and also has studied in Paris with acclaimed Venezuelan percussionist Orlando Poleo.
Currently, he is playing Middle Eastern, Classical, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, West African and Indian percussion instruments using them in different music styles: Rock, Pop, Middle Eastern, R&B, Latin, Classical and Jazz. Gilbert is one of the few musicians in the Middle East to incorporate western instruments in oriental fusion, bringing a new sound to this style of music.
Gilbert has played with a variety of international artists and groups, including Luis Enrique, Simon Shaheen, Susana Bacca, Antonio Serrano, Magos Herrera, Javier Limon, Pepe de Lucia, Gian Marco, David Broza, The Jazz Composers Alliance Orchestra, Oussama Rahbani, Marcel Khalifé, Lebanese National Symphony Orchestra, Damian Draghici, and Tania Saleh
Gilbert has toured and performed in many countries, including USA, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Monaco, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait.
Gilbert can be heard performing many different styles and percussion instruments, including Afro-Cuban, Middle Eastern, and World Beat. His versatility has made him a highly in-demand player for live, studio and educational settings throughout the Middle East.
He can be seen on many television programs, including: “The Voice” on MBC TV, Taratata on Dubai TV, “Arab Idol” on MBC TV
ISBC Assistants
Ms. Dima Abdin, Tuba Assistant and Administrative Assistant ISBC2017
Dima Abdin is a Jordanian Tuba player with a BA in music performance from the National Music Conservatory in Amman. Ms. Dima is the band director assistant and the music teacher at the Amman Baptist School, the principal Tuba player for J Orchestra, and teaches low brass students in the National Music Conservatory.
ISBC Directors
Dr Gene Aitken, Director of LeBAM ISBC
Gene Aitken, Grammy-nominated and Fulbright Scholar Dr. Gene Aitken is considered one of the most exciting and energetic jazz educator/clinicians today, and is recognized as a visionary in both jazz education and computer technology.
His activities as a conductor, performer, composer, adventurer, clinician, adjudicator, and producer of educational events have led him to all corners of the globe. As CEO of Jazz Education Abroad, a US non-profit organization, his travels to many countries in Asia and the Middle East include China, Taiwan, Thailand, Afghanistan, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, and many others.
In July 2017, Dr. Gene will return to China for the 4rd Funote Music Education Summer Jazz and Saxophone Camp. He will return to China again this October 2017, to assist the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in their Saxophone Artist Series for teachers/artists from China’s Conservatories of Music.
Most of July, Dr. Gene will be in the Middle East presenting the Lebanon Jazz Workshop, the Cyprus Jazz Workshop, and serve as the Director of the LeBAM International Summer Band Camp from 21-29 July 1937.
This coming October 2017, Jazz Education Abroad will present the 4rd Hong Kong International Jazz Education Festival. Dr. Gene will serve an ‘In-Residency’ at the Independent Schools Foundation Academy in Hong Kong from 23-26 July 2017.
Also in October 2017, he will direct the Taipei Jazz Orchestra in the final concert of the Taichung Jazz Festival in Taichung, Taiwan. Annually, this evening outdoor concert attracts over 7,000 jazz fans from throughout Taiwan and Asia.
On April 15, 2011, the United States Department of State, on behalf of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, announced Dr. Aitken was the recipient of a Fulbright Specialist Award to assist in developing jazz studies programs and curriculum at Fu-Jen University in Taipei, Taiwan.
In June 2007, Dr. Gene was awarded DownBeat magazine's Jazz Educator of the Year and inducted into the DownBeat magazine's Hall of Fame. In addition, he was the 32nd member inducted into the 1995 International Association of Jazz Educator's Hall of Fame along with Ella Fitzgerald and Doc Severinson, joining luminaries such as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and others. Dr. Aitken is only one of four individuals in the world who have received induction into both organizations’ Hall of Fame.
Also, during the same month, Dr. Aitken was appointed the first Cultural Envoy to Nepal by the US Department of State. While there he worked with the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory Jazz Ensemble, the Nepal Police Academy Band, the Nepal Army Band, and various community groups.
The State of Colorado in 1992 awarded Dr. Gene the highest honor given to any artist, the Colorado Artistic Award of Excellence. It has been the only time this honor has been presented to an individual in the field of music.
The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences awarded the University of Northern Colorado Vocal Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Gene, a prestigious 1985 Grammy Nomination, the only time this award has been presented to an institution of higher Education. As of this date, he has produced over 40 CDs from the University of Northern Colorado, professional jazz ensembles and vocal jazz ensembles.
He has authored 30 articles for national and international journals on jazz education and computer technology, plus has had several musical compositions published through Kendor Music. In June 1997, the National Education Association published a chapter in their book, "Music in the Twenty-first Century" by Aitken on the future of music education in the world.
Dr. Aitken is CEO of the non-profit organization, Jazz Education Abroad that is very active in the Middle East and Asian countries.
Mr. Serghei Bolun, LeBAM National Music Director
In May 2016, Mr. Serghei Bolun earned his Performer’s Diploma in Tuba from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. While at IU, he had the opportunity to study with Provost Professor Dan Perantoni, one of the world’s greatest tubist/teachers and conducting with Dr. Eric Smedley, IU Director of Bands. In addition, he performed in several ensembles who were coached and directed by members or former members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
In 1995, Mr. Serghei also earned his Higher Music Education Degree in Instrumental Performance and Conducting with qualifications: Soloist Performer, Tuba Teacher, and Brass Band Conductor from The State Art Institute – Republic of Moldova.
Between 1992 – 2001 he was appointed Principal Tuba Player of the Bucharest “George Enescu” Philharmonic Orchestra and the Athenaeum Brass Quintet, Romania.
His awards include the Grand Prix – International Contest of Interpretation in Konigsberg-Russia, 1991, and Second Prize – Chamber Music International Contest in Cluj-Romania, 1993.
Since 2000, he has been Principal Tuba with the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra and teacher of Tuba, Euphonium and Chamber Music at the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music. Mr. Serghei is founder of the LPO Brass Choir and Artistic Manager of the Conservatory Big Band. In 2008, he was appointed Principal Conductor and Musical Director of LeBAM, the Lebanese Band Association for Promotion of Music.
Mr. Antoine Rayess, LeBAM National Coordinator
Antoine Rayess is the National Coordinator of LeBAM, is the Conductor of the LeBAM Shouf Branch in Baakline, and retains the position of Assistant Conductor of the LeBAM Youth Symphonic Orchestra. Mr. Rayess earned a Diploma in Rudiments (Solfege) and Theory of Music from the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music. In addition, he earned a Diploma from Trinity College in London, England in Pipe Organ Performance and has directed Marching and Concert Bands since 1996. He attended several Teacher and Conductor training workshops and he is now developping a Central Instrument Repair Station for LeBAM after attending workshops for woodwind and brass instruments reperation.
