ABOUT

Gregory W. Yasinitsky

Greg Yasinitsky, composer and saxophonist, has hundreds of musical works published by Kendor MusiciJazz, Belwin JazzHal LeonardAdvance Music (Germany), Walrus MusicMurphy Music Press, Audible Intelligence Music, University of Northern Colorado Jazz PressDorn Publications, Anchor Music (Sound Music Publications), Daniel Barry Publications and Falls House Press, which are performed in 40 countries worldwide. He is winner of the American Prize for his Jazz Concerto for Piano and Orchestra and is a recipient of grants and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Commission Project of New York, Meet the Composer West, ASCAP, Artist Trust, Washington State Music Teachers Association (WSMTA) and the Washington Music Educators Association (WMEA). Yasinitsky has written music especially for David Sanborn, Clark Terry, Sean Jones, Tia Fuller, Mark Whitfield, David Liebman, the Jazz Education Network All Stars Big Band—for which he served as conductor and composer—and the USAF “Airmen of Note” big band. Yasinitsky regularly accepts commissions for jazz ensembles, orchestral pieces, solo works and chamber music. 

As a saxophonist, Yasinitsky has appeared with numerous acclaimed artists including Sean Jones, Alex Acuna, Conrad Herwig, Randy Brecker, Marcus Printup, Ed Calle, Tom Harrell, Kirk Whalum, Lou Rawls, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Louie Bellson, Stan Getz, Lionel Hampton, Manhattan Transfer, Mel Torme and Clark Terry. Additionally, Yasinitsky is Principal Saxophonist with the Spokane Symphony and has performed as a member of the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Oakland Symphony. 

Yasinitsky’s compositions, arrangements and playing are featured on 50 recordings released by Origin Records, Vienna Modern Masters, Arizona University Recordings, Open Loop Records, the Musical Heritage Society, Soul Note, Palo Alto Records, Revelation Records, Washington State University Recordings and his own label, YAZZ Recordings. Also, Yasinitsky is the author of the book Improvisation 101: Major, Minor and Blues and contributed a chapter to the Amazon best selling book Rehearsing the Jazz Band

Yasinitsky is in demand as a conductor and clinician, and has presented concerts and workshops throughout the US, Canada, Europe and Japan. He is the subject of articles and reviews in DownBeat, Jazziz, Jazz Player, Saxophone Journal, The Instrumentalist, Jazz Educators Journal and Yamaha's New Ways magazines and has contributed articles to numerous scholarly journals. Yasinitsky is a Yamaha performing artist and JodyJazz artist. 

Yasinitsky is a DownBeat magazine award-winning educator, member of the Washington Music Educators Hall of Fame and is a former Board Member of the Jazz Education Network. He is an emeritus professor at Washington State University, where he earned the rank of Regents Professor in the School of Music, where he served for 40 years as Coordinator of Jazz Studies, professor of saxophone, composition and arranging, director of the WSU Jazz Big Band, and as Director of the School of Music. He the recipient of the WSU Eminent Faculty Award, the top honor for faculty at WSU, the Sahlin Faculty Award for Research, Scholarship and Arts, and the College of Arts And Sciences Distinguished Faculty Award

Yasinitsky earned degrees at the Eastman School of Music (DMA) and San Francisco State University (MA, BM). His teachers in composition include Pulitzer Prize winners Joseph Schwantner and Wayne Peterson, and renowned composers Lou Harrison, Samuel Adler and Robert Morris. His jazz teachers include famed saxophonist Joe Henderson and masterclasses with the Dean of Jazz Education, David Baker.