He is a woodwind musician adept on the saxophone, conductor and teacher, born in Canada, who had wanted to be a baseball player when he was young but soon switched to wanting a career in music after attending a summer band camp while at high school. He went on take further studies at Dickinson State University, where he was named as a Distinguished Alumnus, and the University of Colorado-Boulder.
He has performed as a wind musician with countless ensembles and orchestras in the United States and Canada such as the Edmonton Wind Ensemble and the Florida Saxophone Quartet and his work as a conductor has brought him much recognition. Through the course of his busy career he has led the Grand Forks Chamber Ensemble, Greater Grand Forks Youth Symphony, the University of North Dakota Wind Symphony, the University of North Florida Wind Symphony and the University of Florida Chamber Winds among others.
He is perhaps most recognised in the world of musical education where he made his mark as a teacher in Canada before becoming the Director of Bands at the University of North Dakota where he led their Wind Symphony at several venues in the United States as well as taking them to the United Kingdom to perform a series of concerts jointly with the Central Band of the White Russian Army. He then moved to the University of North Florida where he holds the position of Director of Bands and Chair of the Department of Music and teaches woodwind performance and conducting. Active in the Excellence in Education Concert Series, he appeared at Carnegie Hall leading the UNF Wind Symphony.
Other facets of music that he has been involved in include creating a Conducting Symposium for national and international artists and being included in the Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. He is also a regular adjudicator and clinician throughout North America and has been a clinician at American School in Japan and the Rothschild Foundation artist-in-residence for the Israeli Youth Band Teachers and Directors Association.
He is an author with the Research Association for the Teaching Music through Performance in Band series which is a text used by over 300 universities located all over the world.
In his native Canada, the Alberta Government has honoured him in recognition for his contribution to music education.
Edmonton Wind Ensemble recordings
Snake Fence Country (Howard Cable)
CBC Records SMCD 5165
Conductor – Harry Pinchin
He performs flute and sax here on his own “Gordon’s Tune…
Sources: