Dr. John M. Laverty
Director of Bands

John M. Laverty, Professor of Music, joined the faculty of Syracuse University in 1995 as Director of Bands where he serves as Music Director for the Syracuse University Wind Ensemble and teaches undergraduate andgraduate conducting. He also serves as chair of Wind and Percussion Studies. A native of Winchester, Kentucky, he has held faculty positions at the University of Texas, the University of Florida, and McMurry University, and holds degrees from the University of Kentucky and Florida State University.

A versatile musician, he has performed at state, regional, national, and international music festivals including the College Band Directors National Association, The World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, the Syracuse Jazz Festival, the Notre Dame Jazz Festival, and the Mobile Jazz Festival. As a trumpet player, he has performed internationally with numerous professional orchestras and bands including the American Chamber Winds, the Abilene Philharmonic, the New Columbian Brass Band, the national touring company of The Producers, the Excelsior Cornet Band, and with Grammy and Tony award winners in both the classical and jazzarenas. He has performed in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Caribbean, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Singapore, Sweden and throughout the United States.

As a recording producer, he is a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences with over forty recordings to his credit. He has recorded with acclaimed musicians such as Joe Alessi, Stanley Drucker, Andy Russo, Corey Cerovsek, Ursula Oppens, Vince DiMartino, Rob Parton, Scott Hartman, John Daniel, and Todd Reynolds to name a few. In 2007, pianist Andy Russo's Corigliano Violin Sonata Etude Fantasy received a Grammy nomination in the Best Chamber Music Performance category, available on the Black Box label. Other credits include Boston Brass' Ya' Gotta Try (Summit Records), a collaboration with jazz recording legend Rudy Van Gelder, and the first recording of Kurt Vonnegut’s libretto for Igor Stravinsky’s Histoire du Soldat (Summit Records). His most recent recording with the Syracuse University Wind Ensemble is Music for Trumpet and Wind Ensemble Vol. III (Mark Records). His other recordings are available from JVC-Victor, Centaur, Gazebo, Raven, MSR Classics, and Endeavour Classics labels. Many of his recordings are available from Apple's iTunes Store or through Amazon.com.

An accomplished arranger, his works have been performed throughout the world by high school, collegiate and professional ensembles including "The President's Own" United States Marine Band, the Millennium Brass Quintet, The Excelsior Cornet Band, the Allentown Band, The Salt City Jazz Collective, The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, and by renowned soloists such as Stanley Drucker (principal clarinet, New York Philharmonic), Karl Leister (principal clarinet, Berlin Philharmonic), Frank Kaderabek (principal trumpet, Philadelphia Orchestra), and NYPD tenor Daniel Rodriguez.