Bio
Kelland Thomas is Associate Professor of Music and Coordinator of the Camerata Career Development Program at the University of Arizona School of Music. Since his professional debut with the Houston Symphony Orchestra in 1993, he has performed in recital and with orchestras throughout the U.S. and in Canada, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy. He has been a prizewinner in the Lansing Matinee Musicale Young Artist Competition, the Ima Hogg International Young Artist Competition, and the Performers of Connecticut Young Artist Competition.
An active chamber musician, Dr. Thomas has been a member of the Resounding Winds Saxophone Quartet, the Michigan Saxophone Quartet with Donald Sinta, and has performed with the PRISM Saxophone Quartet and MIDI Ensemble. As a member of the Borealis Saxophone Quartet, he won first prizes at the Coleman, Carmel, and Fischoff Chamber Music Competitions. In 1997 he toured throughout Japan with world-renowned marimbist Keiko Abe and the Michigan Chamber Players.
Dr. Thomas is equally comfortable as a jazz musician, and has appeared frequently throughout the Southwest with the Original Wildcat Jass Band, Descarga, and as lead tenor saxophone with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra.He is the musical director for Salsarengue, a group specializing in Latin jazz, Salsa, and Dominican Merengue. He has performed with such jazz greats as Jimmy Heath, Donald Walden, Louis Bellson, Marcus Belgrave, and Reggie Workman.
Kelland Thomas earned the degree Bachelor of Music in Saxophone Performance from Michigan State University, and holds the degrees Master of Music in Saxophone Performance, Master of Music in Music Theory, and Doctor of Musical Arts in Saxophone Performance from the University of Michigan, where he studied with Donald Sinta. He has recorded for the Mode, Albany, and AUR record labels.
For more information, visit kellandthomas.com.
