Wil Swindler

Composer and saxophonist, Wil Swindler currently resides near Denver, CO where he leads Wil Swindler's Elevenet, the modern bop quintet GoodRattle, and the Wil Swindler Quartet.  In addition to his own bands, he is an active performer with the Peter Sommer Septet, Al Hood’s H2 Big Band, Colorado Symphony, the Ben Markley Big Band, the Colorado Jazz Orchestra, the Adam Bartzcak Republic, and many more.  In addition to receiving IAJE's Gil Evans Fellowship in 2008, Wil has completed numerous commissions from jazz ensembles, military bands, and symphony orchestras around the world.  Wil has three CDs available under his own name, Universe B (OA2 Records 2010), the Right Riot (2014) with GoodRqattle, and Chamber Jazz Ensemble (NohJoh Music 2006), and can be heard on numerous other albums including Ingrid Michaelson’s Songs for the Season, Steve Owen's Stand Up Eight, Peter Sommer’s Happy-Go-Lucky-Locals, Al Hood/Dave Hansen's You're It, Bob Washut’s Journey to Knowhere, and David Caffey’s Enter Autumn and All in One.
Wil is an Instructor of Music and the Associate Director of Jazz Bands at Colorado State University, a position he has held since 2009.  He is a frequent adjudicator for high school and college jazz festivals around the country and maintains a private saxophone/composition studio in the Denver area. Wil has served as an adjunct saxophone teacher and Jazz Ensemble director at Denver University, instructor at the University of Northern Colorado, composition teacher for the Colorado Conservatory of the Jazz Arts, faculty at the Yellowstone Jazz Camp, as well as the University of Northern Colorado Jazz Camp, and the Rocky Mountain Summer Music Camp.
Originally from Central Texas, Wil began studying music at age five, and picked up the saxophone at age nine. He earned a B.M. in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas in 2001 where he played in, composed for, and recorded with the 1:00 Lab Band.  While at North Texas, he studied with Jim Riggs, Paris Rutherford, Neil Slater, and others. In 2000 he attended the Henry Mancini Institute on a full scholarship from BMI, and received a commission the following year from HMI for a piece premiered at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. In 2001, Wil relocated to New York City, where he played with Toshiko Akiyoshi and Bill Warfield's NY Fusion Ensemble, among others. During his time in N.Y., Wil studied saxophone with Dave Pietro and composition with Michael Abene and Jim McNeely as a member of the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop. In 2003, he returned to his hometown of Austin, Texas, where he co-founded the 10-pc Chamber Jazz Ensemble and served as musical director for vocalist Kevin Ahart. Mr. Swindler has lived in Colorado since 2006 with his wife April Johannesen and daughter Annika.
As an educator, Wil is in demand as a saxophone and jazz clinician and joined the music faculty at Colorado State University as an adjunct Jazz instructor in the fall of 2009. He is a frequent adjudicator for high school and college jazz festivals around the country and maintains a private saxophone/composition studio in the Denver area. Wil has served as an adjunct saxophone teacher and Jazz Ensemble director at Denver University, instructor at the University of Northern Colorado, composition teacher for the Colorado Conservatory of the Jazz Arts, faculty at the Yellowstone Jazz Camp, as well as the University of Northern Colorado Jazz Camp, and the Rocky Mountain Summer Music Camp.
Originally from Central Texas, Wil began studying music at age five, and picked up the saxophone at age nine. He earned a B.M. in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas in 2001 where he played in, composed for, and recorded with the 1:00 Lab Band. In 2000 he attended the Henry Mancini Institute on a full scholarship from BMI, and received a commission the following year from HMI for a piece premiered at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. In 2001, Wil relocated to New York City, where he played with Toshiko Akiyoshi and Bill Warfield's NY Fusion Ensemble, among others. During his time in N.Y., Wil studied saxophone with Dave Pietro and composition with Michael Abene and Jim McNeely as a member of the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop. In 2003, he returned to his hometown of Austin, Texas, where he co-founded the 10-pc Chamber Jazz Ensemble and served as musical director for vocalist Kevin Ahart. Mr. Swindler has lived in Longmont, Colo. since 2006 with his wife April Johannesen, and daughter Annika.