Dale Tovar, M.A. (Music Theory, 2017), is a precocious 20 year old 3rd year graduate student in jazz studies (guitar performance) at the University of Oregon. He graduated summa cum laude with a B. M. in Music from Eastern Oregon University in 2015, where he completed a triple emphasis in music theory, jazz guitar, and classical guitar (including a 120 page undergraduate music theory thesis and a jazz/classical recital). He spent his junior year at the University of Utah through National Student Exchange (NSE) program. Selected first from among over 2300 exchange students, he won the NSE’s 2015 Bette Worley (Outstanding) Achievement Award. Right after graduating, he spent a summer in Austria on Rotary Exchange.
A performer of note, he auditioned into, and played in a graduate level jazz combo at the age of 16, as well as transcribing and playing a virtuosic Michael Brecker saxophone solo for guitar. He has studied jazz with Oregon music hall of fame guitarist Dan Balmer, Monterey Jazz festival fixture Bruce Forman, Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition finalist Dr. Matt Cooper, Geoffrey Miller, Mike Denny, and John Stowell. He has also played the most advanced classical guitar repertoire while studying with Dr. Tully Cathey and Grand Ronde Symphony conductor and Vatican composer Dr. Leandro Espinosa. |