In a press release, the Williamsport City Jazz Orchestra announced its 2025 guest artist concert will feature internationally renowned saxophonist, composer, arranger and educator, Mike Tomaro, at 7:30 p.m. May 17 at the Trachte Music Center at Lycoming College.

Tomaro was a member of the Army Blues Jazz Ensemble, a unit of the prestigious “Pershing’s Own” U.S. Army Band for 17 years. While with the Army Blues, he served as its Enlisted Musical Director and performed for Presidents Reagan, Bush and Clinton, as well as heads of state from around the world. He composed and arranged much of the Army Blues repertoire and was featured as a soloist on several of the group’s albums and CDs. Tomaro recently retired from the School of Music at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, where he had been the Jazz Studies Program Director since 1997.

Tomaro has five albums under his own name, and has been featured on many other recordings as a performer and/or arranger, most notably on Nancy Wilson’s last two Grammy Award winning releases, “Turned To Blue” and “RSVP,” the Bob Mintzer Big Band’s Grammy nominated release, “For The Moment,” the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra recording, “Bernstein Reimagined,” Ann Hampton Callaway’s “The Hope Of Christmas,” New York Voices’, “A Day Like This,” Sheryl Bailey’s “A New Promise” and the 21st Century Swing Band’s “Pittsburgh Jazz Legacy,” all on the MCG Jazz label.

As a performer, Tomaro worked with a diverse array of artists and groups as Rosemary Clooney, Ray Charles, Michael Feinstein, Linda Ronstadt, Debby Boone, Johnny Mathis, Wayne Bergeron, Terence Blanchard, Louis Bellson, Terry Gibbs, Dizzy Gillespie Tribute Big Band, Woody Herman Orchestra and the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra.

As lead alto player of the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, the city’s premier big band, Tomaro composes and arranges most of the material that the group performs. The band’s first CD, “Joyful Jazz,” garnered rave reviews, a four-star rating in Downbeat magazine, and was selected as one of the top seven holiday albums of 2015 by the Wall Street Journal.

Tomaro’s music has been performed by the likes of jazz greats David Liebman, Wayne Bergeron, Ivan Lins, Claudio Roditi, Mike Stern, Ernie Watts, Bobby Shew, Randy Brecker, New York Voices, Al Vizzutti and many more, as well as high schools, colleges and universities around the world. His orchestral arrangements have been performed by the Pittsburgh and National Symphony Orchestras. Over 200 of his compositions and arrangements have been published, and he co-authored the textbook “Instrumental Jazz Arranging: A Comprehensive and Practical Guide”.

Tomaro was recently bestowed the honor of being inducted into the Pittsburgh Jazz Legends Hall of Fame. He is in great demand both nationally and internationally as a guest soloist, adjudica­tor, and clinician.

In 2011, the non-profit WCJO was founded to showcase the immense amount of talent in the Williamsport area. Members include alumni of the Glenn Miller Big Band, the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the Buddy Rich Band, and many other reknowned jazz ensembles. The orchestra plays an exciting variety of big band tunes, from the popular and familiar to the obscure and new, and the performances are sure to appeal to all. The WCJO presents multiple concerts throughout the year such as the popular annual Holiday Jazz concert, the annual WCJO Jazz Fest, and free summer concerts in the area. The ensemble also provides education workshops for students throughout the year.

For more information, visit the Williamsport City Jazz Orchestra Facebook page or email wmsptcityjazz@gmail.com.