User:Willismusic

Dan Willis, one of New York City's most active and versatile woodwind specialists, performs regularly across a wide spectrum of music from Jazz to New Music. He is currently a member of composer, David Chesky's "Area 31," (Grammy Nominated) which Classics Today defines as, "A new modern downtown Manhattan chamber ensemble of all young star virtuosos." Most recently, Mr. Willis has become the newest member of the multi media ensemble 'VIA' (Vision Into Art) and is featured on their latest recording "Traveling Songs" playing Saxes, Oboes, Duduk (traditional Armenian folk double-reed instruments) and the EWI (electronic wind instrument). Dan was also a featured performer on the Dukuk and the Zurna, at the New York premiere of "Strophes," a work composed by Yakov Koslov. Dan is also a member of The Gotham Wind Symphony Dan and has also been a regular addition to the N.Y Pops and N.Y. Philharmonic. All of these endeavors attest to the rich vocabulary within Dan's musical language. In addition to his work in the classical genre, he has toured Japan and the U.S. with Michael Brecker's Grammy winning Ensemble 'Quindectet', performed with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, toured with Don Henley, and arranged for Bone, Thug and Harmony. Dan is also a member of the Roland Vasquez Bigband, the Grammy Nominated John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble and recorded on the Duduk as a featured artist for the Rob Thomas solo CD single "All That I Am."(Grammy Nominated) As a much sought after woodwind doubler, Mr. Willis has played on thirteen Broadway Cast Recordings and is currently performing in the Broadway Hit Musical, "West Side Story". (Grammy award winner 2010). In October 2008, Dan performed with Elton John and Friends recreating the 1973 classic performance, "Good Bye Yellow Brick Road". Mr. Willis was recently seen with Tori Amos on Lateshow with David Letterman and will soon be seen with Bono and The Edge on "60 Minutes" performing "Spiderman" The Musical. Mr. Willis' work can also be heard on more than 100 TV and radio jingles, such as “Super Bowl XLIII”, "The Price Is Right", "Monday Night Football," Nick Jr.'s, "The Backyardigans," "Little Einstein's", PBS's "Masterpiece Theatre" and ESPN's Roger Maris documentary and “The Band”. On the big screen, Dan has contributed to the film scores for Phillip Glass’s Mr. Nice, I Sell The Dead, Joe Gould's Secret, The American Ruling Class and has performed as a featured extra in the motion picture, Mona Lisa Smile. Dan is also a frequent collaborator to the Baby Einstein Classical Music Educational Series performing on Flute, Oboe, English Horn and Clarinet. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Dan studied the Oboe with Dr. Richard Killmer, Jazz with Bill Dobbins and Ramon Ricker, and arranging with Rayburn Wright.