CHICAGO BASED MUSICIAN
Alex “Al” Piela grew up in Sun Prairie, a suburb of Wisconsin’s capitol city of Madison. After attending high school at Sun Prairie High, Piela received a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire while studying with Robert Baca. Piela then received his Master’s Degree from the esteemed Eastman School of Music. While at Eastman, Piela studied with Clay Jenkins, Harold Danko, and Bill Dobbins.
DEGREES AND EDUCATION
MASTER’S DEGREE IN JAZZ STUDIES AND CONTEMPORARY MEDIA – MAY 2016 Eastman School of Music, Rochester, NY
BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC EDUCATION – JUNE 2013 University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI
Wisconsin DPI Teachers License, Issued July 2013
TEACHING POSITIONS
APPLIED TRUMPET INSTRUCTOR – HARPER COLLEGE Dec 2023 to Present
JAZZ ENSEMBLE DIRECTOR – CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO Aug 2022 to Present
CHICAGO JAZZ PHILHARMONIC TEACHING ARTIST Aug 2022 to Present
TRUMPET LESSON INSTRUCTOR – DOWNERS GROVE SOUTH Sept 2022 to Present
TEACHING ARTIST – RAVINIA FAMILY MUSIC SCHOOL May 2021 to June 2022
Deliver high level music instruction to Lawndale Community residents
TEACHING ARTIST – VIRTUNITY STUDIOS Aug 2020 to Present
Teaching and performing remotely, live streaming, educational video series
TEACHING ARTIST – SISTEMA RAVINIA Feb 2020 to Jan 2022
Deliver high level music instruction to underprivileged Chicago students
In person and online instruction
TEACHING ASSISTANT – EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC Aug 2014 to May 2016
Assist in faculty teaching responsibilities
TEACHING ARTIST – EASTMAN COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL Jan 2015 to May 2016
Taught individual lessons and conducted a small jazz ensemble
JAZZ SEMINAR INSTRUCTOR – SUN PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL Jan 2016 to Aug 2016
Developed curriculum and taught jazz improvisation to a small group of high school students
ASSISTANT ENSEMBLE DIRECTOR – MADISON AREA TECHNICAL COLLEGE Jan 2014 to May 2014
Developed curriculum and taught jazz improvisation to a small group college students
JAZZ GUEST RESIDENCY – PATRICK MARSH MIDDLE SCHOOL, SUN PRAIRIE, WI Jan 2016 to May 2016
Developed curriculum and taught jazz improvisation to a small group of middle school students
HIGH BRASS SECTIONAL COACH – CHIPPEWA YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Sept 2010 to May 2012
Conducted brass sectionals with talented high school students
RESIDENCY/INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCES AS GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA FEATURED SOLOIST
2018 – Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY – Concert Series w/ Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
2018 – Corson Auditorium – Master Class and Concert, Interlochen, MI
2018 – Chofu City Green Hall, Tokyo, Japan
2018 – Nisshin Citizen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
2018 – Asuka Cruise, Cruise Ship Asuka II – Guest Entertainer Cruise, Japan
2018 – Cotton Club – Three Night Residency, Tokyo, Japan
2018 – Gifu Civic Auditorium, Gifu, Japan
2018 – Nagoya Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan
2018 – Festival Hall, Osaka, Japan
2018 – Bunkamura Orchard Hall, Tokyo, Japan
2018 – Matsuyama Civic Hall, Matsuyama, Japan
2018 – Billboard Live Osaka, Osaka, Japan
2018 – Rohm Theatre Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
2018 – Star Pia Kudamatsu – Performed with Mayuko Suenobu, Kudamatsu, Japan
2018 – Milhara Performing Arts Center, Hiroshima, Japan
2018 – Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara, Sapporo, Japan
2018 – Morioka Civic Hall, Morioka, Japan
2018 – Minami Souma Civic Hall, Fukushima, Japan
2018 – Glenn Miller Birthplace Festival, Clarinda, IA
2018 – Yoshi’s Jazz Club, Oakland, CA
2018 – Tim McLoone’s Supper Club, Asbury Park, NJ
2018 – 1940’s WWII Era Ball, Boulder Municipal Airport, Boulder, CO
2018 – Parc Andre J. Cote, Candiac, Quebec, Canada
2018 – Capitol Theatre, Moncton, New Bruswick, Canada
2018 – Seaside Pavillion, Orchard Beach, ME
2018 – Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts, Parry Sound, ON, Canada
2018 – National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, FL
2019 – 1940’s WWII Era Ball, Boulder Municipal Airport, Boulder, CO
2019 – Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, Mount Hope, Ontario, Canada
2019 – Boulder Dinner Theater, Boulder, CO
2019 – Glenn Miller Birthplace Festival, Clarinda, IA
2019 – Benaroya Hall, Seattle, WA
2019 – Yoshi’s Oakland, Oakland, CA
OTHER NOTABLE PERFORMANCES AS GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA SOLOIST
2019 – Orpheum Theater, New Orleans, LA
2019 – Mayo Performing Arts Center, Battle of the Bands w/ Cab Calloway Orchestra, Morristown, NJ
2019 – Devos Performance Hall, Grand Rapids MI
2019 – Naval Air Museum, Pensacola, FL
2019 – Saenger Theater, Hattiesburg, MS
2019 – Pikes Peak Centre, Colorado Springs, CO
2019 – Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, Detroit, MI
2019 – Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis MN
2019 – Five Flags Center, IA
2019 – Palace Civic Center
2019 – Hoogland Center for the Arts, Springfield, IL
2019 – Sellersville Theatre, Sellersville, PA
2018 – The Austin Club, Austin, TX
2018 – Brauntex Theatre, New Braunfels, TX
2018 – Arlington Music Hall, Arlington, TX
2018 – The Cactus Theatre, Lubbock, TX
2018 – Boulder Dinner Theatre, Bolder Co
2018 – Prescott Elks Theater, Prescott, AZ
2018 – Cox Performing Arts Center, St George, UT
2018 – Sevier Valley Center, Richfield, UT
2018 – Martin Theatre, Panama City, FL
2018 – Cascade Theatre, Redding, CA
2018 – Clark Center for the Performing Arts, Arroyo Grande, CA
2018 – Brubeck Arts Center, Mt Carmel, IL
2018 – Emporia Granada Theatre, Emporia, KS
2018 – Lied Center for the Performing Arts, Lincoln, NE
2018 – Martin Theatre, Panama City, FL
2018 – Ritz Theatre, Tiffin, OH
2018 – Shipshewana Event Center, Shipshewana, IN
2018 – The Franklin Theatre, Franklin, TN
2018 – Patchogue Theatre, Patchogue, NY
2018 – Penn’s Peak, Jim Thorpe, PA
2018 – Banyan Bowl, Pinecrest, FL
2018 – Lake Ashton Ballroom, Lake Wales, FL
2018 – Martin Theatre, Panama City, FL
2018 – Newberry Opera House, Newberry, SC
2018 – Copley Symphony Hall, San Diego, CA
2019 – Banyan Bowl, Pinecrest, FL
2019 – Mahaffey Theatre, Petersburg, FL
2019 – Andrew Jackson Hall, Nashville, TN
2019 – Tobin Center, San Antonio, TX
2019 – Orpheum Theatre, Memphis, TN
2018 – Theatre of Western Springs, Western Springs, IL
2018 – Dwight D. Miller Auditorium, Watertown, SD
2018 – Ruth A. Knoll Theatre, Hartford, WI
2018 – J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts, St Charles, MO
2018 – Derby Dinner Playhouse, Clarksville, IN
2018 – Illinois Central College PAC, East Peoria, IL
2018 – J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts, St Charles, MO
2018 – El Riad Temple, Sioux Falls, SD
2018 – Muriel Kauffman Theatre, Kansas City, MO
2018 – Plaza Theatre, El Paso, TX
2018 – Marjorie Luke Theatre, Santa Barbara, CA
2019 – Cottey College Center for the Arts, Nevada, NM
2019 – Bienes Center for the Arts, Fort Lauderdale, FL
2019 – Carolina Theatre, Greensboro, NC
2019 – Wilcox Theatre in the REIF Center, Grand Rapids, MI
2019 – Paramount Theatre, St Cloud, MN
2019 – Newberry Opera House, Newberry, SC
2018 – Egyptian Theatre, Boise, ID
2018 – Austad Auditorum – Val Browning Center, Ogden, UT
2018 – Cheboygan Opera House, Cheboygan, MI
2018 – Crystal Theatre, Crystal Falls, MI
2018 – Calumet Theatre, Calumet, MI
2018 – Clayton Opera House, Clayton, NY
2018 – The Emelin Theatre, Mamaroneck, NY
2018 – Strand Center Theater, Plattsburgh, NY
2018 – Ramsey Theatre, Wayne, NE
2018 – Heber Springs PAC, Heber Springs, AR
2018 – Avalon Theatre, Easton, MD
2018 – Newton Theatre, Newton, NJ
2018 – Town Hall Theatre, Middlebury, VT
2018 – Firehouse Center, Newburyport, MA
2018 – Millersville University – The Winter Center, Millersville, PA
2018 – Infinity Hall, Norfolk, CT
2018 – Charles R. Wood Theater, Glens Falls, NY
2018 – Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT
2018 – Jay and Linda Grunin Center, Toms River, NJ
2018 – Severance Hall, Cleveland, OH
2018 – Southern Theatre, Columbus, OH
2018 – Old National Centre, Indianapolis, IN
2018 – Modell PAC, Baltimore, MD
2018 – Carrier Theatre, Syracuse, NY
2018 – The Levoy Theatre, Millville, NJ
2018 – Sellersville Theatre, Sellersville, PA
2018 – Spanish Ballroom, Glen Echo, MD
2018 – Wayne Theatre, Waynesboro, VA
2018 – Hayes Auditorium, Banner Elk, NC
2019 – Victoria Theatre, Dayton OH
2019 – Marcus Center, Milwaukee WI
2019 – The Howard Theatre, Oshkosh, WI 2019 – Spivey Hall, Morrow, GA
2019 – Falany Performing Arts Center, Reinhardt University, Waleska, GA
2019 – State Theatre, Red Bluff, CA
2019 – Texas A&M – Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX
2019 – The Lorain Palace Theatre, Lorain, OH
2019 – BJCC Concert Hall, Birmingham, AL
2019 – Texas A&M – Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX
2019 – Chandler Center for the Arts, Chandler, AZ
2019 – Casino Fandango, Carson City, NV
2019 – Artcraft Theatre, Franklin, IN
2018 – The Sanderson Centre, Brantford, Ontario, Canada
2018 – Coronado PAC, Rockford, IL
2018 – Lexington Village Theatre, Lexington, MI
2018 – Lexington Opera House, Lexington, KY
2018 – Struthers Library Theatre, Warren, PA
2018 – Peoples Bank Theatre, Marietta, OH 2018 – Weidner Center, Green Bay, WI
2018 – Freedom Hall, Park Forest, IL
2018 – Music Hall Ballroom, Cincinnati, OH
2018 – The Arcadia Theatre, St. Charles, IL
2018 – Harvester Performance Center, Rocky Mount, VA
OTHER NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Jan 2021 to Present – Blues and Brews Small Group Monthly Virtual Performances, Chicago, IL
Nov 2021 – Classical Solo Recital, Community Congregational Church, Villa Park, IL
Oct 2021 – Chamber Music Recital, Cudahy, WI
Sept 2021 to Present – Blue Shift Big Band, Chicago, IL
Aug 2017 – Carnival Cruise Lines, UK
Apr 2016 – Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Eastman Jazz Ensemble with Dave Glasser, New York, NY
Mar 2016 – Jazz Cafe Small Group with Jeff Hirschfield, Rochester, NY
Mar 2012 – UW-Eau Claire Jazz 1 with Andy Martin, Eau Claire, WI
Mar 2011 – UW-Eau Claire Jazz 1 with John Pattitucci, Eau Claire, WI
MASTER CLASSES AND PRESENTATIONS
MASTER CLASS, RECITAL, AND CLINIC – UW LACROSSE, SPRING 2022
MASTER CLASS AND CLINIC – INTERLOCHEN JAZZ CAMP, INTERLOCHEN, MI, SUMMER 2018
MASTER CLASS – LAKELAND HIGH SCHOOL, SPRING 2018
MASTER CLASS AND CLINIC – TOMAH HIGH SCHOOL, TOMAH WI, SUMMER 2017
JAZZ ADJUDICATOR – UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN – EAU CLAIRE JAZZ FESTIVAL, SPRING 2015
MASTER CLASS, THE MUSIC OF DUKE ELLINGTON – SUN PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL, SPRING 2017
THE MUSIC OF FLETCHER HENDERSON – EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC JAZZ HISTORY SEMINAR, SPRING 2016
ANALYSIS OF THE MUSIC OF ROY ELDRIDGE – EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC JAZZ HISTORY SEMINAR, SPRING 2016
THE JAZZ VOCABULARY OF ART FARMER – EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC JAZZ HISTORY SEMINAR, SPRING 2016
TEACHERS AND PRIVATE STUDY
CLAY JENKINS, PROFESSOR OF JAZZ STUDIES AND CONTEMPORARY MEDIA, EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC -ECMS Collegiate instructor in trumpet, and small group faculty coach
ROBERT BACA, PROFESSOR OF TRUMPET AND DIRECTOR OF JAZZ STUDIES, UW-EAU CLAIRE – Private lesson teacher and jazz band director
JEFFERY WOHLBACH, CONTRIBUTING FACULTY IN MUSIC (TRUMPET), DICKINSON COLLEGE
HAROLD DANKO, PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF JAZZ STUDIES AND CONTEMPORARY MEDIA, EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC
JEFF CAMPBELL, CHAIR, JAZZ STUDIES AND CONTEMPORARY MEDIA, EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC – Small group faculty coach
BILL DOBBINS, PROFESSOR OF JAZZ STUDIES AND CONTEMPORARY MEDIA, EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC, Conductor of Eastman Jazz Ensemble, Coordinator, jazz composition and arranging program
OWEN LOVELL, PROFESSOR OF PIANO, UW-EAU CLAIRE
STEVE SVEUM, FMR DIRECTOR OF BANDS AND JAZZ BAND DIRECTOR, SUN PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL
CHRIS GLEASON, DIRECTOR OF BANDS, PATRICK MARSH MIDDLE SCHOOL, SUN PRAIRIE
RICHARD JOHNSON, PRIVATE JAZZ LESSONS, MINNEAPOLIS