Dr. Gregory Yasinitsky
Gregory W. Yasinitsky was born in San Francisco
in 1953 and is Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Studies at Washington
State University, Pullman, where he teaches composition, saxophone, and
wind synthesis.
Dr. Yasinitsky earned degrees in composition
at the Eastman School of Music (DMA) and San Francisco State University
(MA, BM). His teachers include Joseph Schwantner, Wayne Peterson,
Lou Harrison, Samuel Adler and RObert Morris. A prolific composer,
Yasinitsky has received grants and awards from the National Endowment for
the Arts, Meet the Composer West, ASCAP and Artist Trust. He has
received numerous commissions for orchestral pieces, solo works and chamber
music and a number of these pieces have been recorded for CD release by
Vienna Modern Masters and Open Loop Records. Yasinitsky is active
as a jazz composer and arranger as well with many works for big band, combos
and jazz choir including music written especially for Clark Terry, Louis
Bellson, David Liebman and the USAF "Airman of Note" big band. Yasinitsky's
music has been performed and broadcast worldwide. Over sixty compositions
and arrangements have been published by Advance Music (Germany), Dorn Music,
Kemdor Music, Hoyt Editions, Walrus Music and the University of Northern
Colorado Jazz Press.
As a performer, Yasinitsky is Principal Saxophonist
with the Spokane Symphony and has performed as a member of the San Francisco
Symphony, San Francisco Opera Orchestra, Oakland Symphony and Cabrillo
Festival Orchestra. Additionally, he has performed with numerous
distinguished artists including Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Bellson,
Stan Getz, Lionel Hampton, Manhattan Transfer, Mel Torme, Clark Terry and
many others. Yasinitsky's saxophone playing can be heard on recordings
released by the Musical Heritage Society, Soul Note, Palo Alto and Revelation
Records. His playing and compositions can also be heard on compact
discs released by his own label, YAZZ Recordings. In addition to
his saxophone playing, Yasinitsky performs on Yamaha's WX7 Digital Wind
Controller for synthesizers.
Yasinitsky is also in demand as a conductor
and clinician, and has presented concerts and workshops throughout the
US, Canada, Europe and Japan. Additionally, Yasinitsky has contributed
articles to Jazz Educators Journal, BandWorld, The Saxophone Symphosium
and Yamaha's New Ways and Aftertouch magazines.
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