|
Dr.
Todd Goranson is Professor of Music at Messiah University, having served
previously on the faculties of Texas A&M University-Commerce and
Frostburg State University. He teaches applied saxophone and bassoon, undergraduate
and graduate-level music theory small-group jazz and chamber music, as well
as woodwind pedagogy coursework. He holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree
from West Virginia University, and Master of Music and Bachelor of Music
degrees from the Lionel Hampton School of Music at the University of Idaho.
Lauded
by Fanfare Magazine as “an agile and characterful soloist”, Goranson has
enjoyed a performance career playing saxophone and bassoon in a wide variety
of settings and genres. In addition to his own performing groups, he has
appeared in concert with a diverse list of artists including Ray Charles, The
Temptations, The Four Tops, Johnny Mathis, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Keith
& Kristen Getty, Sandi Patti, and performed extensively with the Billy
Price Band.
His
orchestral bassoon credits include twenty professional orchestras in the
US, China, and Mexico, and his saxophone engagements include performances
with the Utah Symphony, Dallas Wind Symphony, Harrisburg Symphony, Plano
Symphony, Philadelphia Wind Symphony, and many others. He has performed
under acclaimed conductors including Thierry Fischer, John Nelson, Marvin
Hamlisch, Jeremy Begbie, Michael Butterman, Larry Rachleff, Delta David
Gier, Miriam Burns, and Jerry Junkin. Goranson served as principal
bassoonist for the Plano Symphony and Irving Symphony, and was member of
both orchestras from 2002-2012.
Goranson
is a founding member of the Junction Saxophone Quartet, Triforia Winds and
Trio Atlantis, and he has given recital performances and/or clinics at
numerous conservatories, universities, and schools throughout the U.S. and
in Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Thailand, Malaysia, China, and
Sweden. He joined the bassoon faculty of the MasterWorks Festival in summer
2015, and served as President of the Christian Performing Artists'
Fellowship & The MasterWorks Festival from 2017-2018.
He
authored the book "New Latin American Music for Bassoon",
published by TrevCo Music, as well as articles for "The Double
Reed", "Scrapes" and “ACAS (Australian Clarinet and
Saxophone) Magazine”. Goranson was also featured in recent articles in
Vandoren USA’s “Wave” publication and Umgas Magazine.
As
a soloist and chamber musician, Dr. Goranson performed at the 2019, 2016, 2015
and 2013 International Saxophone Symposiums, the 2016 and 2014 NASA
Biennial Symposiums, 2012 ICA ClarinetFest and the 2012 International
Double Reed Society Conferences. Other solo and chamber
performance venues for Goranson have included Zhengzhou University (China);
SMM Sommarmusikskola in Jonkoping, Sweden; The Conservatory of Music of
Puerto Rico; Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand for the World
Saxophone Congress XV; Birmingham Conservatoire in Birmingham, UK for IDRS
2009 Conference, and the Dallas Wind Symphony Summer Music Institute. Past
solo and chamber performances have been broadcast live on KPBX and WRR
radio. Goranson has additionally presented world premiere
performances of works by composers including Rodolfo Ledesma, Daniel Adams, Johann Gund, Mattias Arveheim, Ted Hansen, Biljana Bozinovska-Bozivic, as well as North
American or Asian premieres of pieces by Eduardo Morales-Caso, Noel Gallon, David
Gillingham, and Catherine McMichael. Other commissioned/co-commissioned
projects include works by James Stephenson, Katherine Hoover, Sy Brandon,
and Bill Douglas.
Dr.
Goranson has presented lectures on musician's mental health (performance anxiety) and musculoskeletal injury prevention at universities and conferences throughout the United
States, including the 2023 US Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium (George Mason University), Corban University (2021), University of North Dakota (2019), Converse College
(2018), the 2015 TMEA Conference (San Antonio, TX), 2013 IDRS Conference
(University of the Redlands) and 2012 NASA Biennial Symposium (Arizona
State University).
In December 2022, Goranson completed an Associate of Science Degree in Registered Nursing to advance his mission in musicians’ mental/musculoskeletal health, He holds registered nursing license in Pennsylvania, as well as the “Essentials of Performing Arts Medicine” certification from the Performing Artists’ Medicine Association.
An
active clinician and adjudicator, he currently adjudicates regularly for
Music in the Parks Festivals, the ENKOR International Music Competition,
and as a clinician for PMEA events. He served as a saxophone quartet and
solo adjudicator for the Texas State Solo & Ensemble Competition from
2005-2012. He was the director/clinician for many TMEA and ATSSB region and
area jazz ensembles and jazz festivals. He served two terms as the jazz
representative for the College Music Society South Central Region Board,
and founded and hosted the Northeast Texas Saxophone Symposium.
Dr.
Goranson’s major teachers for saxophone include Robert W. Miller, Curtis
Johnson and Barry Bergstrom, with additional studies with Andy Wen.
His bassoon teachers have included Ronald Klimko, Terry Ewell, Susan Hess
and Winston Collier. Goranson can be heard on his new saxophone CD
release Cantilena on the Mark Masters label, as well as on Stained
Glass Windows with the Messiah College Wind Ensemble on the Klavier
label.
Dr.
Goranson is an artist/endorser for Yanagisawa Saxophones (Conn-Selmer,
Inc.), and is a Vandoren Paris Artist-Clinician. He
performs with a Heckel Crest bassoon. |
