Akshat Jain
Akshat Jain is an artist committed to outreach and civic practices through music and his voice as a tubist. Akshat is currently an active performer and teacher throughout the Chicago area. He joined the faculty at the Merit School of Music in January 2019. Besides his responsibilities as faculty at the Merit School of Music, he maintains a private studio and teaches at Fremd HS, Lane Tech HS, and Proviso Math and Science Academy. Besides regular work at these schools, he has also coached for students at the People's School of Music, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, and Interlochen Center for the Arts.
As an active performer, Akshat believes that you must be versatile to be a successful 21st-century musician. He actively performs as a chamber musician, jazz, popular, classical, orchestral, wind band, and contemporary repertoire. Some personal highlights of organizations he has enjoyed working with include Aspen Music Festival, New Chicago Brass, Gargoyle Brass and Organ Ensemble, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Western Brass Quintet, Spectrum Brass, Chicago Composers Orchestra, Fire Thief, Kalamazoo Symphony, Muncie Symphony, Jazz Workshop at DePaul University under the direction of Dana Hall, J-Livi and the party, Sousaphones Against Hate, including many more. He is also the co-founder of Origin Brass, a Chicago based brass quintet focused on new music.
Akshat holds a MM from DePaul University and holds degrees from Ball State University (BM) and the Interlochen Arts Academy (HS). Originally from Vadodara, India, he has lived in Zambia, Thailand, Canada, and the United States.
His talents have taken him to the Aspen Music Festival for two consecutive summers; OperaMaya Festival in Cancún, Mexico; the Bay View Music Festival in Petoskey, Michigan; Fresh Inc Music Festival in Kenosha, Wisconsin and the Seoul International Community Orchestra Festival in Seoul, South Korea.
His principal teachers include Floyd Cooley, Warren Deck, Matthew Lyon, Anthony Kniffen, Thomas Riccobono, Gene Pokorny, and Andy Smith.
FOUNDERS
Matthew Kundler
Dr. Matthew Kundler is a performer and educator based in Central Texas, serving as the Adjunct Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. As a soloist, Matthew has been awarded prizes and recognition in the Leonard Falcone International Tuba and Euphonium Competition, the International Tuba and Euphonium Conference, the University of Alabama's Concerto Competition, Northwestern University's Concerto Competition, the Concours Prestige Internationale, the University of Texas's Concerto Competition, and the Army Band's National Collegiate Solo Competition.
Matthew has performed with the International Contemporary Ensemble, Chicago Brass Band, the BackBurner! Tuba Ensemble (the only professional tuba ensemble in the U.S.), the Georgia Brass Band, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, as well as performing as a featured soloist with the Brass Band of Huntsville, Mt. Prospect Wind Ensemble, the Kealing Middle School Band, the University of Alabama Brass Ensemble, the Wheaton Municipal Band, and Northwestern University’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble. As a member of the International Tuba and Euphonium Association, Matthew performed recitals as an invited guest artist at the Midwest Regional Tuba and Euphonium Conference, the Southeast Regional Tuba and Euphonium Conference, and the International Tuba and Euphonium Conference..
An advocate for new music, Matthew has performed the premieres of solo works for euphonium by Steve Snowden, Jose Flores, Derek Holden, Matthew Jackfert, Frank Guilino, and Paul McGhee. As a member of euphonium quartet !ncite, Matthew has commissioned works for this growing genre of euphonium chamber music from composers Dan Kramer, Ian McCollum, and Doug Bristol. Matthew also serves as the group's primary arranger, focusing on transcriptions of Romantic art songs and contemporary string quartets.
Matthew is also cofounder of the Diversity Initiative Call for Scores, an organization that promotes the works of composers of underrepresented communities. The organization's first call for scores received over 85 new works of brass chamber music from 27 countries.
Matthew received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama, his Master’s degree from Northwestern University, and his Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Texas at Austin. His primary teachers include Rex Martin, Demondrae Thurman, Jeremy Crawford, Martin Cochran, and Charles Villarrubia.