Artists
Ted Piltzecker
Affiliation:
Group: TedVibes & Company Organization: Purchase Conservatory (Chair, Department of Studio Composition)
Artist's Biography
Ted Piltzecker
Composer Vibraphonist Educator
Ted Piltzecker has recorded three albums as a leader. His debut album, Destinations, climbed to number eight in national jazz airplay, and his second release, Unicycle Man on the Equilibrium label (featuring Bob Minter, Harvie S, James Williams, and Dave Meade) remained on the Gavin Jazz Chart for months. The Victory Music Review calls it "a thoughtful recording filled with tasteful flair, the product of confident mature musicians who are committed to the ensemble." Jazz writer and critic, Nat Hentoff praised the album as "a lyrical, thoughtful, relaxing meeting of mutually appreciative improvisers whose time is timeless." Ted's most recent recording, Standing Alone, a collection of standards for solo vibraphone has also been critically acclaimed. All About Jazz reports - "He fills the 43-minutes with expressive grace, maintaining interest throughout." Muse calls it "a simultaneously technically impressive and deeply relaxing listening experience." He tours internationally with the George Shearing Quintet and has performed in festivals as well as with his own unique ensembles.
The National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (Fellowship 2000) have awarded grants to Ted in both performance and composition. His works have been aired on National Public Radio's "Performance Today" and the Canadian Broadcasting Company's "Arts National" and most recently have been performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra Chamber Ensemble at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
Ted has held faculty positions at the University of Michigan, William Paterson University and the Manhattan School of Music. He is an associate professor at the Purchase Conservatory of Music, State University of New York, and chair of the Studio Composition Department. Ted is a popular Conn-Selmer clinician in universities across the country. For eight years, Ted directed the jazz program at the Aspen Music Festival where he regularly performed with many of the great names in jazz. (Jimmy Heath, Joe Williams, Clark Terry, Mel Torme, Ernie Watts, Hubert Laws, Slide Hampton, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and many more)
Ted has performed in New York area concerts and clubs with guitarists Gene Burtoncini, Randy Johnston, and Vic Juris, bassists Rufus Reid, Harvie S. and Todd Coolman, drummers Lewis Nash, Dennis Mackrel, and Clarence Penn, pianists Jim McNeeley, John Hicks, and Bill Charlap, Trumpeters Claudio Roditi, Jon Faddis, and Ray Vega, and saxophonists Chris Potter, Steve Wilson, and Javon Jackson. He recorded with the Shearing Quintet featuring John Pizarrelli for Telarc. Jazz USA said, "The vibes are glassy and glamorous - this is Ted Piltzecker, who always finds the right thing to say."
Ted appears as a featured soloist in percussion and jazz festivals around the world (Hannover's Deutsches Percussion Symposium, London's Percussive Arts Society UK, Brazil's Ritmos da Terra, New Mexico Jazz Festival, the Primer Festival Percusin Patagonia, Argentina, the IX Festival International de Percusin in Puerto Rico, Arkansas Jazz Festival, the 1st Encontro Internacional de Percusso in Tatui, Brazil, and the Festival Internacional de Percusiones in Monterrey, Mexico, Gibsons, BC Jazz Festival, Nrnberg Jazz Circus). His appearances with orchestras have variously spotlighted Ted as a performer, composer, and conductor and include the Tucson Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and the Regina Symphony. European engagements as a jazz headliner include the esteemed UMO Jazz Orchestra in Helsinki (guest soloist/composer) and several tours of German clubs and concert halls. In June of 2008 he will make his first appearance in Japan. His diverse performing interests have included tours with the Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble, appearances at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York with organist Dorothy Papadakos, and chamber music concerts with classical cellist, Yehuda Hanani.
Ted is a graduate of the Eastman and Manhattan Schools of Music. He is also a licensed pilot and unicyclist.
Additional information is available at: TedVibes.com
Influences
Eclectic listening habits - Love "storytellers" with technical prowess (writing or playing), a sense of lyricism, craftsmanship and good taste.
Appearances/Venues
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Discography
Ted Piltzecker and Oscar Gonzαlez in Monterrey (currently being mixed )
George Shearing Quintet featuring John Pizarelli: "The Rare Delight of You"; Telarc 2002
John Morton: "Outlier"; Innova 2002
Piltzecker: "STANDING ALONE" (album of jazz standards and ballads for solo vibraphone); Equilibrium 2001
Piltzecker: "UNICYCLE MAN" (album of original music and standards with Bob Mintzer, Harvie Swartz, James Williams, Dave Meade}; Equilibrium 1999
David J: "Urban Urbane"; MCA Records 1992
Piltzecker: "DESTINATIONS" (album of original music / Andy Simpkins, Jack Wilkins, Ted Moore); Seabreeze Records 1986 [SB027] #8 national jazz airplay
Pendulum: (live recording of Vancouver concert on 11/23/86 by CBC Enterprises in Toronto)
John McEuen: "String Wizards"; Vanguard Records 1985
Contact Information
E-mail Address: ted@tedvibes.com
Website: TedVibes.com
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