Tom Reese

soprano flute, alto flute 

global wind instruments

"... a musical meal fit for a king."  Richard Fuller, Metaphysical Reviews

           Tom Reese is a composer who plays the flute.  Or is he a flutist that is also a composer?  Called "multi-lingual," his versatility knows no bounds.  A captivating performer, Tom’s strength’s are in his warm sound & driving melodic lines. From jazz & blues, to folk music, classical, even rock’n’roll, this eclectic musician combines elements from all musical genres to create his unique sound. His compositions are known for their beautiful melodies, innovative instrumentation & modern harmonies. His compositions are hits on international radio stations, being commissioned and performed all over the world.  He free-lances in many venues as a solo artist, musician & educator. His bands have opened for Bela Fleck, Gaelic Storm, Grey Eye Glances & more, & among the musicians he has performed with are Bela Fleck, Valery Ponomarev & Nick Brignola. 

          Tom is an innovator, whether in composition, education, or performance. He leads composition and jazz improvisation workshops.  He has won awards for composition & education, including four recent NEA awards for his work as Music Director for the YouTheatre program at the Fulton Opera House in Lancaster, PA.  He composed all of the pieces on The Reese Project’s jazz CD "Blue Etude," which was in the top 20 of the 2002 Grammies, and his classical compositions are featured on "Conversations," which won an award for Best Instrumental Album in the 2002 Just Plain Folks Awards, the largest independent music awards. He debuted some of his award-winning jazz compositions in Nashville on Music Row. 

          As an educator, his involvement with the Arts Infusion program piloted at Price Elementary (Lancaster, PA) helped to raise the school from #17 in the county to #1 academically. Tom has taught composition for "Summerstage for Youth" at the Fulton Opera House, & York’s "Day at the Strand," among many other residencies & workshops. He is a composer with The Commission Project in Rochester, NY, which funds composers in schools, teaching composition.

          In addition to the soprano & alto flutes, Tom plays Global Wind Instruments including the Irish pennywhistle, recorder, Chinese shakuhachi, bamboo flutes, Peruvian pan pipes, fife, antique ocarinas, and the Native American Lakota flute.  He demonstrates each of these instruments in an educational program called "Music Makes the World Go Round."  Tom is the originator of the Ocarina Building Workshop & "From Earth to Song," a make-at-home ocarina building kit. since 1987, Tom has helped children of all ages design & build their own playable ocarinas out of clay.

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