Azur Dwan (011.Piano)

Azur Dwan (011.Piano) Frank Gulino, a native of New York City, now lives in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, where he maintains an active schedule as a composer and serves as the bass trombonist of the Prince Georges Philharmonic. Frank is a graduate of The Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Bass Trombone Performance. At Peabody, he studied with Randy Campora and Jim Olin of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO). Frank has also studied trombone with David Fedderly of the BSO, Vincent Belford of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and jazz artist Bob Ferrel. As a trombonist, Frank has performed at venues such as The Music Center at Strathmore, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), and the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, home of the BSO. While at Peabody, Frank appeared with the BSO brass section and served as the bass trombonist of the Peabody Symphony Orchestra, Peabody Concert Orchestra and the Peabody Wind Ensemble, one of the nation’s premier collegiate wind bands. Frank can be heard on a number of recordings with the Peabody Wind Ensemble, each released on the Naxos record label. Frank is an artist/clinician for the Edwards Instrument Company and performs exclusively on Edwards trombones and Griego Mouthpieces. As a composer, Frank has had works commissioned, performed, and commercially recorded by some of the worlds foremost brass players, including euphonium virtuoso Steven Mead, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra bass trombonist Gerry Pagano, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra bass trombonist Brian Hecht, and Christopher Dudley, principal trombonist of the Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester in Bergen, Norway. In addition, Frank’s works have been performed at venues around the world, such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.; the Joseph Alessi Seminar in Fossano, Italy; the Eastern Trombone Workshop; the Lasnamäe Muusikakool in Tallinn, Estonia; the Korskirken in Bergen, Norway; the Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music in Riga, Latvia; the Jeju Arts Center in Jeju Province, South Korea; and dozens of colleges, universities, and conservatories, both domestically and abroad. Frank is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and received ASCAP Plus Awards in 2013, 2014, and 2015. A flattering 2009 review of Frank’s early work, Sonatina, in the International Trombone Association Journal first brought attention to his contemporary brass compositions. The 2010 season began with premieres of Frank’s Worlds Apartand Two Serenades on conservatory degree recitals, followed by the premiere of Tornado, by Steven Mead with members of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, and culminated in Frank’s first major commissioned work, Capriccio for trombone and wind ensemble, written for Christopher Dudley. Following the completion of several new works and a favorable review of Tornado in the International Tuba Euphonium Association Journal in the fall of 2011, Frank was awarded the inaugural commission project of the EuphoniumCommissions.org consortium, a group formed expressly for the purpose of funding new additions to the low brass repertoire. The resulting work, Infinite Escape, was premiered by Steven Mead in July of 2012. Since then, Franks music has appeared on concert programs domestically and internationally, as well as on Ubiquity, a bass trombone solo album released by Gerry Pagano in October of 2014. Franks first work for concert band, Skyline, was named a 2015 Editors Choice by J.W. Pepper, one of the worlds premier sheet music distributors. Frank’s works, published by The FJH Music Company, Cimarron Music Press, and 200 Miles to Arnstadt Publications, are available from major music distributors all over the world, including J.W. Pepper, Hickey’s Music Center, SheetMusicPlus, and many others. Additionally, Franks work has been selected for inclusion on both the Maryland Music Educators Association (MMEA) and the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) repertoire lists.