Music

Dave Camwell

camwell_09 Dr. Dave Camwell is a distinguished, versatile and dynamic performer. He has been a Yamaha Performing Artist since 2004, and currently serves as Assistant Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies at Simpson College, Indianola, IA. He is endorsed by Protec, Beechler, and Sax Scarf.

Camwell has received degrees from the University of Calgary and Jacksonville State University (B.Mus, dual degree in Jazz Studies and Education), the University of Northern Colorado (M.Mus, dual degree in Performance and Education), and the University of Oregon (D.M.A in Performance with a secondary emphasis in Jazz Studies).

In 2008, Camwell released his first classical saxophone CD, Aeterna, on the TealCreek Label. The disc includes the title work by John Anthony Lennon, and others by Niccolò Paganini, J.S. Bach, Ron Albrecht, Steven Galante, Nate Brown and Robert Schumann. Notable saxophonists Jim Romain and James Bunte, along with pianist Ron Albrecht, collaborated on Aeterna, which was funded by a grant from the Iowa Arts Council. Saxophone Journal (Jan/Feb, 2009) reviewed Aeterna and stated that, "Dave Camwell is a saxophonist of the first order and demonstrates easily his technical mastery of the instrument and artistic interpretation of repertoire. His tone is warm, rich, and supple with the ability to flex his muscles when needed...Aeterna is ethereal and imaginative and Camwell's performance on this CD is perhaps a performing hallmark for this piece...Aeterna is an extremely inspiring CD of beautiful artistic music and Dave Camwell's saxophone artistry sets him apart from the crowd."

Furthermore, Aeterna was reviewed in the 2008 NASA Saxophone Symposium: "...the CD ends with a final treat for the listener, an "encore" track of Paganini's Caprice No. 24, Op. 1 performed live. Camwell rises above the challenging technical aspects of this work to present a dynamic live performance that recalls the musical showmanship characteristic of Paganini."

Camwell has performed at the jazz festivals of Montreux, Brienz, Calgary, Edmonton, and Victoria. He spent three summers as a musician for Norwegian Cruise Lines, touring Hawaii, Alaska and the Caribbean. He has performed with the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra and New York Central City Chorus, and with the colleges and universities of Cincinnati (CCM), North Dakota State, Concordia (MN), Jamestown (ND), Graceland (IA), Northern Iowa and Manitoba. He performs regularly at the regional and national conferences of the North American Saxophone Alliance and performed at both the 14th and 15th World Saxophone Congresses in Slovenia (2006) and Thailand (2009). In May, 2009, Camwell's performance of works by J.S. Bach was twice featured on American Public Media's nationally broadcast radio program, Performance Today.

Camwell has over twenty publications available through Dorn Publications and the University of Northern Colorado Jazz Press. His transcriptions have been performed across Canada, the United States, Great Britain and China. A notable performance of one of his transcriptions (Schumann's Fantasiestücke) was given by James Bunte and Dr. David Riley in Carnegie Hall in 2006.  He also writes a regular column for Saxophone Journal and recorded John Anthony Lennon's Aeterna as a CD Master Class for the March/April 2007 issue.

Current projects include performing and recording with the Oasis Saxophone Quartet (with James Romain, Nathan Nabb, and James Bunte), with a tour and CD release planned for Fall, 2009.

Please visit his website at:  http://www.davecamwell.com/

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Last Updated: 8/14/09