Kim Portnoy is a composer, arranger, jazz pianist and Associate Professor of Music at Webster University, St. Louis where he is Director of Composition Studies. He holds AB and MA degrees from Washington University, St. Louis where he studied composition with Roland Jordan, John Perkins and Robert Wykes.
His compositions have been featured nationally and internationally at the Eastman Summer Trombone Institute in Rochester, New York; the Choral Music Experience Institute in Arvika, Sweden; the Guitar Foundation of America Conference at Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio and two International Association of Jazz Educator’s conferences: New Orleans and Atlanta.
He is the recipient of two Fiscal Year Creative Artist Project Awards from the Missouri Arts Council and a grant from the Thomas Talbert Foundation. He has received commissions from the United States Air Force Band of Mid-America, the piano team Duo Albireo, The Original Boneheads trombone quartet, The Missouri Music Teacher’s Association, the St. Louis Childrens Choirs and the McDonnel Planetarium.
Recently he was featured as pianist and arranger with St. Louis Symphony concert master David Halen and jazz vocalist Erin bode. Other arrangements have been performed by the Florida Space Coast Orchestra, the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and the Webster Symphony.
Mr. Portnoy can be heard with his trio (bassist Ric Vice and drummer Clarence Newell) on Great Day, a recent jazz release from Victoria Records.
Featured Piece in Wind Band Select Series:
Sasha Takes a Train (6:40) (WBS1M - $125- parts set, WBS1F - $45 -score)
Recording - by the United States Air Force Band of Mid-America
(http://www.bandofmidamerica.af.mil/)
Sasha Takes a Train commissioned by the USAF Band of Mid-America was inspired by a memorable overnight train ride in Eastern Europe taken by the composer’s family. The music is intended to evoke the motion and sounds of the train and the noisy, scary, surprising and joyous character of the journey. Sasha refers to the composer’s then 13 month old son Alexander who managed to sleep through much of his first train adventure.
