Dr. Christopher Mickel
Originally from Charleston, West Virginia Chris Mickel currently resides in Fairmont West Virginia. He has been playing saxophone for about 25 years having studied jazz and classical performance. He is a versatile a musician and has experience performing in many settings from rock and jazz to chamber music and solo classical repertoire. He is currently a doctoral candidate at West Virginia University where he is finishing his doctor of musical arts degree in saxophone performance; he is currently working on finishing his dissertation on the Glazunov saxophone concerto. He earned a bachelor of science in music education from West Virginia State University in 1999 and a master of music in saxophone performance from the University of Louisville in 2002. He has studied saxophone with the following teachers: Michael Ibrahim, Morgantown, WV (2008 – Present) David Wright, Morgantown, WV (2007 – 2008) John Moore, Louisville, KY (2001 – 2002) Michael Tracy, Louisville, KY (2000 – 2001) Gary Stringer, Charleston, WV (1996 – 1999) and Mel Gillespie, Charleston, WV (1992 – 1996). Aside from his studies at WVU, his current musical activities include teaching at Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania and his private saxophone studio.
He is currently working with two groups: The C2J2 quartet based in Charleston, WV and a jazz sextet based in Washington, PA. Some of his notable performances are: Participation in various concerts with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Performed as a soloist at the 2009 Region 8 conference of the North American Saxophone Alliance, Played the lead tenor saxophone chair in the 2009 Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Jazz Orchestra, Performed as a soloist at the 2009 conference for the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States, Performed as a soloist at the 2010 National Conference for the North American Saxophone Alliance, Performed as featured soloist on faculty recitals and with the Jazz Ensemble at West Virginia State University, Performed as featured soloist and accompanist on numerous student recitals and with the West Virginia University Big Band, Little Big Band, Saxophone Quartet, and various other ensembles.
In January 2011, Chris also joined the MySaxTalk.com team as a senior professor and moderator.
