Steve Wiest Leaving UNT for New Opportunities


The UNT  trombone studio  must regretfully announce that Steve Wiest  has accepted a new position with unique opportunities in Denver, CO beginning Fall 2014. Steve has made an outstanding contribution to our trombone program in the six years he has been with us. In addition to his usual outstanding jazz trombone teaching, arranging and composing, he was responsible for founding  the now highly  successful U-Tubes Jazz Trombone Ensemble, while garnering  the Kai Winding Jazz  Trombone Ensemble Award in its first year of existence.  A year later he led the effort to create the first U-Tube's CD.  
 
Steve's new position in Denver is titled " Coordinator of the 21st century music initiative", meaning that he will be bringing people together to teach all  aspects of what it means to be diverse and well-rounded musicians in today's ever-changing musical landscape. In the meantime he will continue to teach composition and improvisation while putting together a new series of classes  and initiatives.
 
In addition he will be creating a new group called The Symposium that will combine  jazz and classical  instrumentation. Along with these duties he will be the new  artistic director of the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra.
 
His infectious enthusiasm and colorful personality will be missed by all, making it UNT's  loss and Colorado's win. We  wish him our very best, and  collectively thank him for his outstanding contribution.