Glen Gillis "Dr. G"

Affiliation:

University of Saskatchewan - Associate Professor

Director of Bands
Saxophone, Conducting, and Music Education Instructor

Artist's Biography
Dr. Gillis conducts the Wind Orchestra and several chamber ensembles at the U of S. Within the busy performance schedule of the Wind Orchestra, he coordinates and directs the ensemble for the fall and spring Convocation Ceremonies and the fall and spring tours in Saskatchewan and Western Canada. Through invitations, the Wind Orchestra toured Texas in February of 2006 and performed at the University of North Texas College of Music in Denton, and also at the Texas Music Educators Association in San Antonio. In 2005, the Wind Orchestra released their 1st Commercial CD, Winds of the Prairie: A Celebration as a part of Centennial Saskatchewan. The Wind Orchestra recently released their 2nd CD as a part of the University's 100th Anniversary and the University Band's 45th Anniversary.

Seven years ago Dr. Gillis returned to Canada after a ten-year residence in the United States where he was Director of Bands at Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma for five years, three of which he served as guest conductor of the Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra. Previous to that he was assistant Director of Bands at the University of Missouri-Columbia, and adjunct faculty member at Central Methodist College in Fayette, Missouri. Prior to his tenure in the United States, he served as a sessional lecturer at the University of Saskatchewan where he taught saxophone and a jazz band techniques course. As well, he taught instrumental music for eleven years in the Saskatoon Public School Division where his ensembles received provincial and national recognition.

Since returning back to Canada, Dr. Gillis has remained active as a clinician and adjudicator for solo/ensemble festivals and workshops in Canada and the United States. He has provided numerous clinics, adjudicated various music festivals, as well as guest conducting at several band camps and honour band ensembles. Recently, he guest conducted the 2006 Saskatchewan Honour Band and the 2007 North Saskatchewan Junior Honour Band.

Apart from his reputation as a teacher and conductor, Dr. Gillis is a Conn-Selmer Artist and Clinician, and has maintained a high profile as a saxophone soloist. As a member of SOCAN, his diverse performance career and musical experience has spanned over three decades in the realms of classical and jazz. Recently he was a guest artist at Florida Atlantic University where he recorded one of his compositions Sonata with James Cunningham on Hoot/Wisdom Recordings: didgeridoo.diversions. He has performed at six World Saxophone Congresses, six North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) Biennial National Conferences, and numerous NASA Regional Conferences. Since his tenure at the University of Saskatchewan his most notable and invited performances included performing his own compositions at the 2008, 2006, 2004, and 2002 NASA Biennial Conferences at the University of South Carolina-Columbia, University of Iowa, the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, and the University of North Texas respectively; the 2007 and 2003 NASA Region IX Conferences in Regina and Vancouver; the 2005 NASA Region IV Conference at Arkansas State; the 2003 World Saxophone Congress at the University of Minnesota; and the 2003 Contemporary Art Series at Fort Hays State University in Kansas. Each year as a faculty member at the U of S, he has presented recitals for the Department of Music In Performance Convo Series.

In the last fifteen years Dr. Gillis has commissioned seven works for classical saxophone and has collaborated with many artist musicians, conductors, and composers. He has matriculated many saxophone students at the high school and college level who have received provincial and national awards. He has provided numerous clinics at high schools and colleges over his career and has also served as an artist-in-residence at the Banff Centre in Alberta on four occasions. As an original member of the Saskatoon Saxophone Quartet, Dr. Gillis leads the ensemble that performs for special functions in and around Saskatoon, including the most recent NASA Regional Conference at the University of Regina.

In 2004, Dr. Gillis created the annual High School Select Wind Orchestra and the Band Directors' Professional Development Seminar; and in 2005, the North Saskatchewan Wind Symphony. He is a past Saskatchewan Band Association Board Member (2002-2005) and U of S liaison to the Saskatchewan Music Educators Association. In the last five years he presented research papers at the U of S Fine Arts Research Lecture Series in 2002 and 2006, and at the 2007 College Band Directors National Conference at the University of Michigan. He has contributed articles to the Canadian Music Educator, Canadian Winds, and The Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. His self-published compositions for saxophone include: To Quote Myself, Meta-Morphi III, Sonata, and Impromptu. Nicole's Aria and Nicole's Gigue for saxophone and piano are published by Eighth Note Publications.

Dr. Gillis earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree from the University of Saskatchewan, a Master of Music in Music Education degree from Northwestern University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Appearances / Venues

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Contact Information
E-mail Address: glen.gillis@usask.ca
Website: www.usask.ca/music/people/faculty/gillis.html