director and saxophones
Lance Hoffman
Based in Rochester, NY, saxophonist Lance Hoffman he leads his own 17-piece big band, as well as various smaller jazz groups. He received a bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from the University of Kentucky. Lance has worked as a musician and arranger in Chicago, Nashville, and most recently Rochester. He he has toured with the band of Nashville-based singer-songwriter Mindy McQ for Armed Forces Entertainment, playing for US personnel in Japan, Korea, and Singapore. He has played around the world as a musician and band leader for several major cruise lines. As an arranger, he has worked with artists such as Margo Price, Toby Beau, and Debbie Gibson.
trumpets
Mike Kaupa
Jazz Trumpet player Mike Kaupa has toured North America, Europe and Japan as a leader and member of other groups, such as "ONIX" (Spain), "Equinox" (Lyon), "The Existing Reality" (U.S. and England) "The Institute for Creative Music" (U.S.) and "The Glenn Miller Orchestra" (U.S., Canada and Japan). From 2001 through 2005 he was a member of the faculty at the annual Seminario de Jazz, in Barcelona, Spain. On Saturday December 2nd, 2007, Mike performed at the Palau de la Musica in Barcelona. He was an interim instructor of jazz trumpet at the Eastman School for the 1999/2000 school year and the spring semester, 2010. He recently performed at the "Remembering Marian" tribute to Marian McPartland concert at the 92nd St. Y in NYC. April 25th he was a soloist with the Penn State University Jazz Ensemble. Among others, he has performed with Jorge Rossy, Ben Monder, Jon Faddis, Mark Murphy, Gary Bartz, Luciana Souza, Joe Locke, Mel Torme, and Ray Charles. Mike holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Fredonia State University and a Master of Music degree from The University of Miami. He is currently on the faculty of The Harley School,Finger Lakes Community College, Eastman Community Music School and the IfCM Collective.Kaupa is based in Rochester, New York where he maintains a busy schedule of teaching and performing.
rhythm
Rich Thompson
Rich Thompson is an Associate Professor of jazz studies and contemporary media (pt) at the Eastman School of Music. In addition to his duties as artist/teacher of drum set, he also directs the Eastman Jazz Lab Band, teaches fundamentals of jazz drum set, assists in coaching the rhythm sections of small groups and big bands. Mr. Thompson received a bachelor’s degree in music education and in percussion from the University of Oklahoma, and a master’s degree in jazz studies and contemporary media (performance) from the Eastman School of Music. Rich has been a featured soloist with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as with many major orchestras in the United States and Canada. He has toured with the Count Basie Orchestra, Glenn Miller Orchestra, and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. Thompson has recorded numerous times in the U.S. and France with renowned pianists Bill Dobbins (Paradise, Glass Enclosure and others.) and as a co-leader with James Williams (of Art Blakey fame).
Rich has given master classes and concerts at numerous colleges in the U.S., France, Denmark, Thailand, Japan, and Newfoundland. He has taught jazz at the Eastman School of Music Summer Jazz Workshop for 20 years, and was featured for sixteen years as an artist in residence at the Birch Creek Music Center in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin. For the past 18 years, Rich has served as the chairperson for drum set solo selection for the New York State NYSSMA Manual.