Mike Tomaro is a saxophonist, composer, arranger and educator specializing in jazz and commercial music. He has retired from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA, where he was its Jazz Studies Program Director since 1997. Prior to this, he was a member of the Army Blues Jazz Ensemble for 17 years.
He has produced five recordings under his own name, the most recent being 4 Seasons (MCG Jazz). He can also be heard on recordings by Nancy Wilson, the Bob Mintzer Big Band, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, Ann Hampton Callaway, the New York Voices, Sheryl Bailey, and the 21st Century Swing Band. Mike has performed with a diverse array of artists and groups such as Rosemary Clooney, Michael Feinstein, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Mathis, Terence Blanchard, Dizzy Gillespie Tribute Big Band, Woody Herman Orchestra, and the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra.
Mike is the lead alto player of the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, the city’s premier big band, where he composes and arranges most of the material that group performs. In 2015, the band released its first CD, Joyful Jazz on the MCG Jazz label, which contains 11 holiday arrangements by Mike.
His music has been performed by David Liebman, Claudio Roditi, Mike Stern, Ernie Watts, New York Voices, Al Vizzutti, and many others, as well as high schools, colleges, and universities around the world. Over 200 of his compositions and arrangements have been published by Doug Beach Music, Hal Leonard Publications, and eJazzlines. Mike co-authored the textbook Instrumental Jazz Arranging: A Comprehensive and Practical Guide (Hal Leonard Publications), with his long-time mentor, Dr. John Wilson, the former Director of Jazz Studies at Duquesne University.
Mike was recently inducted into the Pittsburgh Jazz Legends Hall of Fame. He is affiliated with ASCAP, NARAS, JEN, and NAfME, and is in great demand as a guest soloist, adjudicator, and clinician. Mike has been a Yamaha Performing Artist for over 30 years and is also a Vandoren Diamond Artist.