Neil Yorke-Slader
NEIL has composed over 60 works at various levels for jazz ensemble; several are preserved by the National Library of Canada (Archives). He taught music at the elementary and secondary levels for 17 years, and is active as a jazz adjudicator and clinician throughout North America. His music has been played on five continents. He has written commissions for elementary and high school jazz ensembles, and was one of the eight contributing composers to the inaugural Canadian “New Sounds of Learning Project”. Neil is a member of the International Association of Jazz Composers & Arrangers.
Neil was a contributor to “Jazz Pedagogy, A Canadian Perspective” (available through ArtistShare). He was honoured with the inaugural Tommy Banks Outstanding Canadian Jazz Director Award in 2018. Neil was named to the MusicFest Canada Hall of Fame in 2017, and was named an Honourary Lifetime Member of the Ontario Music Educators Association in 2020. He is considered one of the leading Canadian authorities on the teaching of stage band fundamentals and rehearsal techniques.
Steve Szabo
STEVE is a music educator and band director with nearly 20 years’ experience, currently at Nepean High School in Ontario, Canada. He is the co-director of the Nepean All-City Lab Band, an auditioned advanced jazz ensemble for high school and post-secondary students. Steve is the Regional Coordinator for Capital Region MusicFest, an Ottawa-area festival attended by over 4,000 students annually. Steve was the recipient of the Ottawa Carleton District School Board Fine Arts Recognition Award in 2017.
Steve studied trumpet at the University of Ottawa under the tutelage of Eric Rupp, where he obtained his B.Mus. degree. Steve competed in the United States and Canada as part of Canada’s only competitive drum and bugle corps out of Kingston, Ontario. He performed and recorded as part of the fusion duo, Trumped!, and played trumpet in the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra. A passionate photographer, Steve’s photography contributes to the inspiration behind his works and is featured on the covers of his scores.
