The UAB CHAMBER TRIO
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Chamber Trio consists of Dr. Denise Gainey, clarinet, Dr. James Zingara, trumpet and Dr. Christopher Steele, piano. The group was established in 2012 and has performed throughout Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia including appearances at the Alabama Music Educators Conference, the College Music Society Southern Region Conference, the Birmingham Arts Music Alliance and the National Association of Composers USA Conference. The UAB Chamber Trio has generated many new pieces for this genre including works by William Price, David Jason Snow, Benedikt Brydern, Andrew Wilson, Jeffrey Boehm, Juan Maria Solare and Virginia Samuel. The UAB Chamber Trio has recently released a CD entitled Many New Trails to Blaze on the Ravello label. The CD features many of the new works that were commissioned by the ensemble and in 2021, Many New Trails to Blaze was awarded a Global Music Award Bronze Medal in the Instrumental Category.
Reviews for Many New Trails to Blaze:
“In short, this trio is well-matched, and there is a sense of three friends having a variety of conversations in this album, and it is a pleasure to hear.”
“Many New Trails is an exciting collection of beautifully performed original pieces for trumpet, clarinet, and piano and will become a staple in the libraries of many. Bravo!”
“A delightful ear opener…”
“…Many New Trails to Blaze will provide an opportunity to see how composers are melding jazz and classical influences to accommodate this unique trio combination. These are engaging works intelligently programmed to provide good musical variety.”
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Chamber Trio consists of Dr. Denise Gainey, clarinet, Dr. James Zingara, trumpet and Dr. Christopher Steele, piano. The group was established in 2012 and has performed throughout Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia including appearances at the Alabama Music Educators Conference, the College Music Society Southern Region Conference, the Birmingham Arts Music Alliance and the National Association of Composers USA Conference. The UAB Chamber Trio has generated many new pieces for this genre including works by William Price, David Jason Snow, Benedikt Brydern, Andrew Wilson, Jeffrey Boehm, Juan Maria Solare and Virginia Samuel. The UAB Chamber Trio has recently released a CD entitled Many New Trails to Blaze on the Ravello label. The CD features many of the new works that were commissioned by the ensemble and in 2021, Many New Trails to Blaze was awarded a Global Music Award Bronze Medal in the Instrumental Category.
Reviews for Many New Trails to Blaze:
“In short, this trio is well-matched, and there is a sense of three friends having a variety of conversations in this album, and it is a pleasure to hear.”
- National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors Journal, Spring 2019
“Many New Trails is an exciting collection of beautifully performed original pieces for trumpet, clarinet, and piano and will become a staple in the libraries of many. Bravo!”
- International Trumpet Guild Journal, June 2019
“A delightful ear opener…”
- Midwest Review, November 2018
“…Many New Trails to Blaze will provide an opportunity to see how composers are melding jazz and classical influences to accommodate this unique trio combination. These are engaging works intelligently programmed to provide good musical variety.”
- Cinemusical, November 2019
Sounds
Jeffrey Boehm: Sonata for Three: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LYrZRWH5Mo
Valentin Bogdan: Urban Scenes (Movent II, After Midnight): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE7PQGeJkVo
Robert J. Bradshaw: Crepsucular Rays: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUP8wjuNpRY
Juan Maria Solare: Sale con Fritas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17KgwO1uNnE
William Price: I Don’t Want to Dance (Dance-like): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94bmS9LpyGg
Jeffrey Boehm: Sonata for Three: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LYrZRWH5Mo
Valentin Bogdan: Urban Scenes (Movent II, After Midnight): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE7PQGeJkVo
Robert J. Bradshaw: Crepsucular Rays: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUP8wjuNpRY
Juan Maria Solare: Sale con Fritas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17KgwO1uNnE
William Price: I Don’t Want to Dance (Dance-like): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94bmS9LpyGg
Performer Bios
Dr. Denise Gainey is Distinguished Professor of Clarinet and Associate Chair of the Department of Music at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She serves as the Secretary of the Board of Directors for the International Clarinet Association. An avid proponent of chamber music, she tours regularly with the Amicitia Duo and the UAB Chamber Trio. An active clinician and performer throughout the United States and abroad, Gainey has compiled and edited a collection of clarinet solos, Solos for Clarinet, published by Carl Fischer. Her book, Kalmen Opperman: A Legacy of Excellence was released by Carl Fischer in January 2018. She received the Bachelor of Music Education from Florida State University, the Master of Music in Clarinet Performance from the University of North Texas, and the Doctor of Musical Arts in Clarinet from the University of Kentucky. Gainey is an Artist/ Clinician for Backun Clarinets, D’Addario Woodwinds, and Silverstein Works.
Dr. James Zingara has performed throughout the United States as well as England, Germany, the Czech Republic, Denmark, China, and Singapore. Currently he serves as Professor of Trumpet at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where his responsibilities include applied trumpet and brass methods, coaching and conducting brass ensembles, performing with the UAB Faculty Brass Quintet and UAB Chamber Trio, and coordinating the annual Trumpet Symposium. Former positions include Associate Professor of Trumpet at Troy University, and principal cornet/trumpet soloist with the US Air Force Heritage of America Band. He has recorded on the Telarc, Zephyr, Capstone, and Mark labels, and his recording of modern works for trumpet entitled Textures was released on the Ravello label in 2016. Dr. Zingara currently represents Bach Trumpets as a performing artist/clinician and also serves as instructor of trumpet at the Alabama School of Fine Arts.
Dr. Chris Steele is Staff Pianist and Aural Skills Instructor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has held previous positions at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts as Staff Pianist, and at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro as both Lecturer of Music Theory and Ear Training as well as Faculty Fellow for the UNCG Grogan College Music Learning Community. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts in Accompanying and Chamber Music from UNCG where he studied with Andrew Harley and James Douglass, and held assistantships in both accompanying and music theory/ear training. He received two Masters degrees from The Florida State University in Piano Performance and Music Theory where he studied with Carolyn Bridger. An active performer, Steele is a member of the UAB Chamber Trio, and has collaborated with members of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Denise Gainey is Distinguished Professor of Clarinet and Associate Chair of the Department of Music at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She serves as the Secretary of the Board of Directors for the International Clarinet Association. An avid proponent of chamber music, she tours regularly with the Amicitia Duo and the UAB Chamber Trio. An active clinician and performer throughout the United States and abroad, Gainey has compiled and edited a collection of clarinet solos, Solos for Clarinet, published by Carl Fischer. Her book, Kalmen Opperman: A Legacy of Excellence was released by Carl Fischer in January 2018. She received the Bachelor of Music Education from Florida State University, the Master of Music in Clarinet Performance from the University of North Texas, and the Doctor of Musical Arts in Clarinet from the University of Kentucky. Gainey is an Artist/ Clinician for Backun Clarinets, D’Addario Woodwinds, and Silverstein Works.
Dr. James Zingara has performed throughout the United States as well as England, Germany, the Czech Republic, Denmark, China, and Singapore. Currently he serves as Professor of Trumpet at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where his responsibilities include applied trumpet and brass methods, coaching and conducting brass ensembles, performing with the UAB Faculty Brass Quintet and UAB Chamber Trio, and coordinating the annual Trumpet Symposium. Former positions include Associate Professor of Trumpet at Troy University, and principal cornet/trumpet soloist with the US Air Force Heritage of America Band. He has recorded on the Telarc, Zephyr, Capstone, and Mark labels, and his recording of modern works for trumpet entitled Textures was released on the Ravello label in 2016. Dr. Zingara currently represents Bach Trumpets as a performing artist/clinician and also serves as instructor of trumpet at the Alabama School of Fine Arts.
Dr. Chris Steele is Staff Pianist and Aural Skills Instructor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has held previous positions at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts as Staff Pianist, and at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro as both Lecturer of Music Theory and Ear Training as well as Faculty Fellow for the UNCG Grogan College Music Learning Community. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts in Accompanying and Chamber Music from UNCG where he studied with Andrew Harley and James Douglass, and held assistantships in both accompanying and music theory/ear training. He received two Masters degrees from The Florida State University in Piano Performance and Music Theory where he studied with Carolyn Bridger. An active performer, Steele is a member of the UAB Chamber Trio, and has collaborated with members of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra.