Trombone: Nathan Tanouye
Nathan Tanouye – Trombone
Born in Platteville, Wisconsin in 1974, Nathan Tanouye began studying music in elementary school, first with piano lessons and later on trombone. At age 11 he moved to Hawaii, where he attended high school and began his college education. While at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, Nathan studied trombone with members of the Honolulu Symphony, including Jim Decker and Mike Becker. After receiving a performance scholarship to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1995, Nathan moved to Las Vegas and completed his BM in both applied trombone and jazz studies. As a freelance trombonist, he has performed with artists such as Natalie Cole, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, The Temptations, Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Donny & Marie Osmond, and Bette Midler. In addition, Nathan has been the principal trombonist in the Las Vegas Philharmonic since 1998 and has performed on the Las Vegas Strip in shows such as At the Copa, Storm, Hairspray, and The Producers. Since 2005, Nathan has performed and recorded with Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns, for which he also writes and arranges.
As a composer, he has written works for many different sizes of ensembles, ranging from jazz trio to concert band. In February of 2004, the UNLV Wind Orchestra Premiered Three Steps Forward, a piece written by Mr. Tanouye to feature Eric Marienthal, Will Kennedy, Jimmy Haslip, and Russell Ferrante, later recorded and released on the Klavier label. Since that time, Nathan has written three more wind ensemble pieces, two of which were also commissioned by UNLV; Kokopelli’s Dance (2005) and Four Flew Over the Hornet’s Nest (2006).
Nathan has also done extensive work as an arranger and orchestrator, including arrangements for a diverse range of ensembles, including 18-piece jazz ensembles and flute and harp duo. One of his biggest arranging credits, “Crossings – The Russ Freeman Project” (Peacock 2006), a collaborative work with Carolyn Freeman featuring the music of pianist Russ Freeman, received rave reviews from the jazz community and helped launch The Las Vegas Jazz Connection, the roaring 26-piece jazz orchestra lead by Nathan. Since 2005, Nathan has lead the orchestra in numerous concerts featuring his arrangements and compositions. In 2008, he and the ensemble released their second CD for Peacock entitled “Remembering Russ”, which again features his arrangements of the great Russ Freeman’s music.
Currently, Nathan performs with and arranges music for Celine Dion and teaches full time at UNLV
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“LAS VEGAS SUN” NEWSPAPER ARTICLE:
Trombonist to the stars – Tuesday, May 12, 2009 | 2 a.m. – Las Vegas Sun
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