Georgia Tech School of Music Presents:
Celebrating Cecil Welch
Georgia Tech School of Music Presents:
Celebrating Cecil Welch
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
7:30pm
Ferst Center for the Arts
Dr. Chip Crotts, Jazz I Ensemble
Benjamin Diden, Symphonic Band
Cecil Welch (IM 58) joined the Atlanta Pops during his teen years and gained early experience as a freelance trumpeter in Atlanta's emerging musical community. After graduating from Georgia Tech, he pursued a lifelong career as an independent insurance agent, but furthered his skill as a professional musician, joining the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. In 1976, after having guest-conducted the ASO, and having heard Welch’s rousing jazz performance of "Peter Gunn," Henry Mancini invited Welch to join him as his lead trumpeter and soloist. Until Mancini's death in 1994, they traveled the world performing with major orchestras such as the London Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Welch combined his passion for music and his Tech management education, forming a successful production company of his own and educating young people on the performance and business of music. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Welch "offered trumpet demonstrations in the educational environment, from pre-school 'show-and-tell' to college master classes on career development of both the business and the performance of music."
One of the most gracious ways Welch supported music education was by donating his personal copies of Mancini scores to the Georgia Tech Library Archives.
Jazz Ensemble I
Arr. Gordon Brisker
Arr. Darryl Brenzel
Alan Baylock
Symphonic Band
Arr. Johnnie Vinson
Simple Song
Featuring Kevin Lyons
Joe Gransden
At 50 Years old, Joe Gransden has already performed worldwide and released 14 CDs under his own name. Renowned first for the hard bop approach of his trumpet, Gransden’s singing voice has been compared to that of Chet Baker and Frank Sinatra.
Not long after high school, Joe was on the road as a sideman with the big bands of Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller. A number of A.F.M. contracted sideman gigs include Barry White, The Moody Blues, Kenny Rogers, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, The Whispers, etc. Eventually moving to New York City, he performed with numerous groups, including sub work with Toshiko Akiyoshi and Chico O’Farrill at the famous Birdland Jazz Club. Meanwhile, Joe formed his own group, which performed in Brooklyn each week and included the venerable guitarist Joe Cohn and ex-Betty Carter bassist, Matt Hughes. “Having my own group and being fortunate enough to travel, play, and record has been a dream come true,” says Joe.
A widening schedule has found Joe performing the 1st and 3rd Mondays of every month at Café 290 in Atlanta w/his 16 Piece Big Band , The Jazz Corner in Hilton Head, South Carolina, The Ritz-Carlton at Reynolds Plantation W/Michael Fienstein, The Museum of Art and Design in midtown Manhattan, Spivey Hall in Atlanta, Ga and Tehema Golf Club in Carmel, California (where Joe regularly plays events for Clint Eastwood). Joe also just released his brand new cd “Close To My Heart” produced by Saxophone great Kenny G. The cd is a collection of smooth jazz covers and originals written by Joe and Kenny. Joe has been performing w/Kenny G and his band around the country for the past year or so. His brand new project entitled “Songs of Sinatra & Friends” features Joe singing and playing w/his 16 piece Big Band & String Orchestra! The CD has been getting great reviews and lots of airplay around the country. Pick your copy up today.
The Joe Gransden 16 Piece Big Band is quickly becoming one of the busiest groups on the jazz scene. Originally formed in 2009 Joe and the guys have continued to build momentum and are performing numerous shows around the country. The bands new release entitled “It’s A Beautiful Thing” has sold incredibly well and is getting radio air play all over the world! The cd was recorded live at Cafe 290 in Atlanta Georgia where the band holds a steady gig twice every single month. “The Big Band truly has its own sound and really swings!” Says Gransden, “I attribute that to the arrangements that were all written by jazz trombone great Wes Funderburk! It’s such a pleasure to front a band of top musicians that can interpret Wes’s arrangements perfectly! These guys are the best!”
For more information on Joe and the Band please visit: www.joegransden.com
Kevin Lyons
Trumpeter Kevin Lyons hails from Clinton Mississippi, and has long had a dual passion for both classical and jazz music. Kevin received his early training in Mississippi from the great Sonny Hill, (THANK YOU SONNY!!!) and at Louisiana State University with James west, and at The University of Southern Mississippi with Allan Cox. Mr. Lyons continued his education at the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied with Michael Sachs and James Darling and earned his Bachelors Degree in Music Performance. During that time he was awarded the Bernard Aldestein Award in Trumpet and was a participant at the Aspen Music Festival. After conservatory life, he went on the road for two years playing with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, touring the U.S., Canada, Japan, the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean. Upon returning to the U.S., Mr. Lyons landed in his current home of Atlanta, Georgia, where he won positions of Associate Principal Trumpet with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as well as Principal Trumpet of the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra, the Greenville (SC) Symphony, the Georgia Symphony and the Columbus (GA) Symphony. He has been featured as soloist with the Georgia Symphony, the Atlanta Pops Orchestra, the Gwinnett Philharmonic and the Atlanta Community Orchestra.
In 2018/19 Mr. Lyons embarks on a national tour with world renowned pianist Mac Frampton as special guest artist.
Mr Lyons' playing can be heard on a number of major label recordings with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and with artists such as Sinead O'Connor, Matchbox Twenty, and John Driscoll Hopkins of the Zac Brown Band. Mr. Lyons is a founding member of the funk band Bumpin the Mango and is a member of the Joe Gransden Big Band. He can be regularly seen throughout Atlanta and the Southeast's jazz and live music venues, having been a side man for artists such as Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Frankie Valli and Peter Frampton. Mr Lyons can often be found playing both at Carnegie Hall and the Blue Note Jazz Club in the same season. His chamber ensemble credits include founding memberships of Il Brasso Magnifico and Atlanta Brassworks. He has performed in featured ensembles at the conferences of the International Trumpet Guild, International Trombone Association and International Tuba Euphonium Association. Mr. Lyons also enjoys playing with other classical ensembles and has joined the Cleveland Orchestra for a European tour and been Guest Principal Trumpet for the Malaysia Philharmonic, Nu Deco Ensemble and the Miami City Ballet Orchestra. In his downtime, Kevin enjoys playing a great round of golf, listening to records, and hearing live music!
Jazz Ensemble I Members
Saxophone
Jake Sisavath |
MS in Aerospace Engineering |
Duluth, GA |
Clara Bailey |
Civil Engineering |
Chicago, IL |
Thomas Grady |
Computational Science and Engineering |
McLean, VA |
Jeremy Wang |
Computer Science |
Johns Creek, GA |
Mir Jeffres |
Music Technology |
Marietta, GA |
Trumpets
Alex Kehler |
MS Aerospace Engineering |
Lexington, KY |
Steven Aceto |
Masters in City & Regional Planning |
Dacula, GA |
Christopher Fitzpatrick |
Computer Engineering |
Roswell, GA |
Jared Alexandrian |
Mechanical Engineering |
Flowery Branch, GA |
Arianna Mastali |
Computer Engineering | Celebration, FL |
Trombones
Alec Albrecht |
Aerospace Engineering |
Urbandale, IA |
Jeremy Chen |
Electrical Engineering |
Dayton, NJ |
Jimmy Kemerait |
Physics |
Tifton, GA |
Chinar Joshi |
Computer Science | Johns Creek, GA |
Sam Missner |
Music Technology | Roswell, GA |
Piano
Dowon Kim |
Computer Science |
Seoul, South Korea |
Alex Boskovic |
Mechanical Engineering |
Winchester, MA |
Guitar
Spencer Kessler |
Math and Computer Science |
St. Louis, MO |
Christian Engman |
Computer Science |
Wellington, FL |
Bass
Joshua Stephens |
Computer Engineering |
Thomasville, GA |
Drums
Josh Baffour |
Mechanical Engineering |
Snellville, GA |
Kevin Sadi |
Computer Science |
Cumming, GA |
Keaton Tsepas |
Architecture | Atlanta, GA |
Vocals
Drea Backus |
Music Technology | Columbus, GA |
On mobile devices, scroll to the left to view full table contents.
Symphonic Band Members
Flute
Bret Hendricks | Mathematics | Thomasville, GA |
Jennifer Lee | Mathematics | Evans, GA |
Julian Nogal | Computer Science | Stockbridge, GA |
Grace Xu | Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering | Atlanta, GA |
Oboe
Tyler Breaux | Aerospace Engineering | Summerville, SC |
Shaun Deedy | Biology | Suwanee, GA |
Bassoon
Jesse Bruner | Nuclear Engineering | Longwood, FL |
Hannah Tourial | Mathematics | Sandy Springs, GA |
Clarinet
Mark Glinberg | Computer Science | Prospect Heights, IL |
Jasmine Lee | Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering | Augusta, GA |
Kevin Li | Mechanical Engineering | Bridgewater, NJ |
Sydney Morrissey | Biomedical Engineering | Cumming, GA |
Xintong Qu | Computer Science | Suwanee, GA |
Bass Clarinet
Michael Coppeta | Computer Science | Atkinson, NH |
Alto Saxophone
Shaurya Agarwal | Computer Science | South Brunswick, NJ |
Drew Lawton | Computer Science | Spartanburg, SC |
Timothy Sung | Computer Science | Johns Creek, GA |
Tenor Saxophone
Keshav Parthasarathy | Computer Engineering | Suwanee, GA |
Baritone Saxophone
Adam Gray | Electrical Engineering | Kennesaw, GA |
Trumpet
Nate Dickey | Electrical Engineering | Rincon, GA |
Michael Lambert | Civil Engineering | Kennesaw, GA |
Mitchell Perales | Mechanical Engineering | Woodstock, GA |
Harry Shrager | Aerospace Engineering | Raleigh, NC |
Horn
Kate Blake | Electrical Engineering | Augusta, GA |
Robert Dunning | Mechanical Engineering | Woodstock, GA |
Ethan Fox | Computer Engineering | Dahlonega, GA |
Christopher Lee | Computational Media | Plano, TX |
Mingkuan Yan | Computer Science | Los Altos, CA |
Trombone
Liam Bourque | Industrial Systems Engineering | Peachtree City, GA |
Malachi Joseph | Electrical Engineering | McDonough, GA |
Colin McMenomy | Industrial and Systems Engineering | Jefferson, GA |
Brian Walker | Mechanical Engineering | Canton, GA |
Euphonium
Roderic Parson | Computer Science | Evans, GA |
Will Rawson | Aerospace Engineering | Columbia, SC |
Tuba
Charles Causey | Computer Engineering | Cleveland, GA |
Aaron Thompson | Biochemistry | Augusta, GA |
Piano
Logan Bowers | Computer Science | Johns Creek, GA |
Percussion
James Connor | Computer Science and Public Policy | Northport, NY |
Daniel Lee | Industrial Design | Evans, GA |
Vishnu Murthy | Mechanical Engineering | Houston, TX |
Brianna Perez-Chaves | Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering | Peachtree City, GA |
Kevin Pinder | Earth and Atmospheric Sciences | Savannah, GA |
Rikhil Seshadri | Computer Science | Woodbury, MN |
Double Bass
Chinedu Nwakanma | Industrial Design | Milton, GA |
On mobile devices, scroll to the left to view full table contents.
Upcoming Concerts
All School of Music concerts are free and open to the public!
Georgia Tech School of Music
Through interdisciplinary degree programs, outstanding performance ensembles, and innovative research endeavors, the Georgia Tech School of Music cultivates a rich legacy of musical traditions and develops cutting-edge technologies to help define music's future. The School serves students in bachelors, masters, and doctoral programs in music technology and offers innovative performance opportunities, courses, and cultural and artistic experiences for students throughout the Institute.