GRAMMY Award winner Jeff Tyzik is one of America’s most innovative and sought after pops conductors. Tyzik is recognized for his brilliant arrangements, original programming and engaging rapport with audiences of all ages. Tyzik holds The Dot and Paul Mason Principal Pops Conductor’s Podium at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and serves as Principal Pops Conductor of the Detroit Symphony, the Oregon Symphony and The Florida Orchestra. This season, Tyzik will celebrate his 23rd season as Principal Pops Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Frequently invited as a guest conductor, Tyzik has appeared with over fifty orchestras including the Boston Pops, Cincinnati Pops, Milwaukee Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. 

In May 2007, the Harmonia Mundi label released a recording of works by Gershwin with Tyzik conducting the RPO and acclaimed pianist Jon Nakamatsu. This recording stayed in the Top 10 on the Billboard classical chart for over three months. Alex Ross of The New Yorker, called it “one of the snappiest Gershwin discs in years.” “His concert is the kind of thing that’s likely to give classical music a good name, perhaps even make it seem, dare I say, relevant,” writes John Pitcher of the Gannet News Service. 

As an accomplished composer and arranger, Tyzik has had his compositions recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra, Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony and Doc Severinsen with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London. He has also produced and composed theme music for many of the major television networks, including ABC, NBC, HBO, and Cinemax, and released six of his own albums on Capitol, Polygram and Amherst Records. 

Tyzik worked closely with Doc Severinsen on many projects including orchestrating many of the great band leader’s symphony orchestra programs. He produced a GRAMMY Award winning album, The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen, Vol. 1. Tyzik’s subsequent recordings with Severinsen garnered three more GRAMMY nominations. 

In his twenty-two years with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Tyzik has writte n over 200 arrangements, orchestrations and compositions for orchestra. A consummate musician, Tyzik regularly appears as a guest conductor in the orchestra’s classical subscription series. He has also been commissioned to compose original works for orchestra, including a Trombone Concerto, which was funded by a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts and subsequently performed at Carnegie Hall. Tyzik conducted the world premiere of his original work New York Cityscapes with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in 2010. Tyzik composed a Timpani Concerto, commissioned by the RPO, and also led the RPO in the premiere of his new orchestral suite, “Images: Musical Impressions of an Art Gallery” to rave reviews. In the 2015/16 season, Tyzik premiered his new work “Jazz Concerto for Violin and Orchestra” on his Philharmonic Series performance with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. 

A native of Hyde Park, New York, Tyzik began his life in music when he first picked up a cornet at age nine. He studied both classical and jazz throughout high school and went on to earn both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Eastman School of Music. While there, he studied composition/arranging with Radio City Music Hall’s Ray Wright and jazz studies with Chuck Mangione. Tyzik subsequently toured with Mangione as lead trumpet and worked on five Mangione recordings as a producer and performer from 1976 to 1981. 

Committed to performing music of all genres, Tyzik has collaborated with such diverse artists as Megan Hilty, Chris Botti, Matthew Morrison, Wynonna Judd, Tony Bennett, Art Garfunkel, Dawn Upshaw, Marilyn Horne, Arturo Sandoval, The Chieftains, Mark O’Connor, Doc Severinsen and John Pizzarelli. Tyzik has created numerous original programs that include the greatest music from jazz, classical, Motown, Broadway, film, dance, Latin and swing. 

This dynamic vocalist puts new meaning to diversity and grassroots talent. Shayna Steele’s natural ability to traverse musical genres, be it in the studio, on the stage, or on the screen, has kept her on the A-list of in-demand singers in the industry. Shayna’s effortless execution of both soul and jazz has grabbed the attention of audiences globally, be it Monterey Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival with Snarky Puppy, or the hundreds of symphony orchestras throughout North America. 

Shayna’s creative abilities explode across multiple genres, highlighted by her original signature sound. Her mature songwriting abilities are dynamically evident, as heard through her infusion of soul, jazz, and blues. 

In 2023, Shayna debuted her solo symphony show, American Diva, with the prestigious Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, featuring GRAMMY-winning conductor and composer Mr. Jeff Tyzik, who arranged her music and favorite covers. Shayna has performed as the guest soloist with over 100 North American symphony orchestras, such as the Dallas Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, and Detroit Symphony Orchestra, where she debuted her solo blues program, Nothin’ But the Blues, with GRAMMY Award-winning composer and conductor Jeff Tyzik. 

Throughout her career, Shayna has lent her talent to leading artists such as GRAMMY-winning trumpeter Chris Botti and Moby, whose tracks Raining Again, Disco Lies, and Extreme Ways featured Shayna’s blockbuster vocals. Snarky Puppy’s Michael League handpicked Shayna’s original track, Gone Under, for inclusion in their huge hit Family Dinner, Volume 1 album (Ropeadope Records), which has become a viral sensation with over 2 million views and countless covers from musicians globally. No stranger to both the small and silver screens, Shayna has sung on the soundtracks of Hairspray, The Bourne Identity, and Sex and the City 2, as well as making a guest appearance on The Sopranos! Shayna recently made an appearance in two episodes of the Marvel series Penguin, starring Colin Farrell on MAX. 

Shayna has appeared in the smash hit musical RENT, as well as Jesus Christ Superstar, and her original role in the massive Tony Award-winning musical Hairspray. 

She has provided background vocals for artists such as Bette Midler, Rihanna, and Kelly Clarkson, along with countless other A-list stars. After going solo, writing, and putting her band together, Shayna has released four studio albums, with her second album RISE reaching #2 on the U.S. iTunes jazz charts and #1 on the international jazz charts. 

Shayna holds a music degree from the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Interdisciplinary Music Studies and teaches private vocalists virtually. Shayna has also been a guest for many college masterclasses and workshops globally. 

Kelly Levesque (pronounced Le-Vek) is a native New Yorker who began her career in the studio at the age of 3, with her musician-father recording her first notes. Kelly has performed on leading international stages such as the Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House, the Kennedy Center, Budokan, Staples Center, The White House and Madison Square Garden with artists such as Sting, Jamie Foxx, Andrea Bocelli, David Foster, Josh Groban, Michael Bolton, John Legend, Patti LaBelle, Gloria Estefan, Chris Botti, Sheryl Crow, Toni Braxton, Brian Mcknight, and many more. Kelly’s soaring vocal range, beautiful tone, and stunning stage presence have provided her with an international recording and performing profile since she signed her first major record deal.  

Kelly’s voice has been featured on numerous national television and radio commercial spots. Kelly has had 2 top 5 Billboard Classical Crossover Albums in the US and has been honored to perform for 4 US Presidents, International Royalty, and His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. Kelly’s favorite role is playing mom to her 3 amazing daughters, Hope, Lulu, and Jade.  

Exciting news, Kelly and her husband multi-platinum, JUNO award-winning singer/songwriter and producer, Fraser Walters, have joined forces as a writing, production, and performing team, channeling their shared life experiences into bold new creative work. Among the projects they are eager to share is a new Christmas Album that is in pre-production, and an original dramatic musical with Tony Award-winning producers attached, marking the next chapter of their creative partnership.  

A powerful force both individually and together, fraser+KEL will continue to inspire audiences worldwide through their extraordinary artistry, storytelling, and a deeply shared passion for music, family, and healing through song.  

For more info visit: www.fraserandkel.com