Biography
John Mindeman has had a distinguished musical career both in the United States and overseas. For 23 years, he was Associate Professor of Trombone and Euphonium at Western Illinois University, where he taught trombone and euphonium, music theory, low brass techniques, and performed with the Lamoine Brass Quintet, the faculty ensemble in residence at WIU. He currently works as a free-lance composer, arranger, and trombonist.
His catalog of music arrangements includes works for brass ensembles of all sizes, orchestra, ragtime ensemble, and solo instruments. His arrangements have been performed by the New York Philharmonic Brass, The Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra, The Charleston Symphony Brass, The Washington Symphonic Brass, The Monarch Brass, The Red Peppers Ragtime Ensemble, The Elgin (IL) Symphony Orchestra, The Quincy (IL) Symphony, The Millar Brass Ensemble, and many other groups both in the United States and abroad.
As a composer, he strives to write interesting and accessible music that will engage both the listener and the performer. He has written works for trumpet octet, solo trumpet and wind ensemble, solo clarinet and orchestra, trombone and piano, solo piano, solo oboe, string quartet, string trio, and mixed chamber ensemble. He studied composition with Paul Paccione.
John's career as a trombonist has seen him performing in Latin America and the U.S. He was a member of the Filarmonica de Santiago (Chile), and the Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional of Costa Rica. His many years as a Chicago-based free-lance trombonist includes performances with the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Music of the Baroque, the Ravinia Festival Orchestra, the Joffrey Ballet, Chicago Opera Theater, the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Brass Quintet, and the Millar Brass Ensemble. He has played under some of the finest conductors of our time, including Zubin Mehta, Daniel Barenboim, Rafael Kubelik, Christian Thielemann, Roberto Abbado, Mistislav Rostropovich, and Semyon Bychkov. He has also played with popular artists such as Joni Mitchell, Chet Atkins, the Three Tenors (Domingo, Pavarotti, Carreras), Andrea Boccelli, Nanci Griffith, Audra McDonald, Idina Menzel, and Garrison Keillor. Recordings featuring John as performer include: Trio for Trumpet, Horn, and Trombone on trumpeter Mark Ponzo's disc The Trumpet Music of Verne Reynolds, and the premiere recording of the Trombone Concerto by Dexter Morrill on the disc Three Concertos with the Northern Illinois Philharmonic.
From 1999 to 2009, John taught and performed at the Birch Creek Music Performance Center in Door County, Wisconsin, a unique summer program for young musicians age 13-19. In addition, he has taught at Wheaton College, Knox College, Northern Illinois University, Roosevelt University, and North Central College.
John received a Bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College, a Master’s degree from the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago, and a Performer’s Certificate in jazz trombone from Northern Illinois University. He is grateful to have studied trombone with superb musicians such as Edward Kocher, George Krem, Edward Kleinhammer, Arnold Jacobs, Charles Vernon, and Tom Garling. He lives with his wife Miriam and daughter Julia in Macomb, IL, and loves building electric guitars in his spare time.
His catalog of music arrangements includes works for brass ensembles of all sizes, orchestra, ragtime ensemble, and solo instruments. His arrangements have been performed by the New York Philharmonic Brass, The Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra, The Charleston Symphony Brass, The Washington Symphonic Brass, The Monarch Brass, The Red Peppers Ragtime Ensemble, The Elgin (IL) Symphony Orchestra, The Quincy (IL) Symphony, The Millar Brass Ensemble, and many other groups both in the United States and abroad.
As a composer, he strives to write interesting and accessible music that will engage both the listener and the performer. He has written works for trumpet octet, solo trumpet and wind ensemble, solo clarinet and orchestra, trombone and piano, solo piano, solo oboe, string quartet, string trio, and mixed chamber ensemble. He studied composition with Paul Paccione.
John's career as a trombonist has seen him performing in Latin America and the U.S. He was a member of the Filarmonica de Santiago (Chile), and the Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional of Costa Rica. His many years as a Chicago-based free-lance trombonist includes performances with the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Music of the Baroque, the Ravinia Festival Orchestra, the Joffrey Ballet, Chicago Opera Theater, the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Brass Quintet, and the Millar Brass Ensemble. He has played under some of the finest conductors of our time, including Zubin Mehta, Daniel Barenboim, Rafael Kubelik, Christian Thielemann, Roberto Abbado, Mistislav Rostropovich, and Semyon Bychkov. He has also played with popular artists such as Joni Mitchell, Chet Atkins, the Three Tenors (Domingo, Pavarotti, Carreras), Andrea Boccelli, Nanci Griffith, Audra McDonald, Idina Menzel, and Garrison Keillor. Recordings featuring John as performer include: Trio for Trumpet, Horn, and Trombone on trumpeter Mark Ponzo's disc The Trumpet Music of Verne Reynolds, and the premiere recording of the Trombone Concerto by Dexter Morrill on the disc Three Concertos with the Northern Illinois Philharmonic.
From 1999 to 2009, John taught and performed at the Birch Creek Music Performance Center in Door County, Wisconsin, a unique summer program for young musicians age 13-19. In addition, he has taught at Wheaton College, Knox College, Northern Illinois University, Roosevelt University, and North Central College.
John received a Bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College, a Master’s degree from the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago, and a Performer’s Certificate in jazz trombone from Northern Illinois University. He is grateful to have studied trombone with superb musicians such as Edward Kocher, George Krem, Edward Kleinhammer, Arnold Jacobs, Charles Vernon, and Tom Garling. He lives with his wife Miriam and daughter Julia in Macomb, IL, and loves building electric guitars in his spare time.