Biography
Pianist GEORGE F. SPICKA has composed over 650 diverse works ranging from jazz, to electro-acoustic, to new music piano and chamber works, and music for worship and educational purposes.
A member of the Baltimore Composers Forum since 1992 he has debuted and performed over thirty new works. He has also served as board member, secretary, vice president, and president.
He was showcased twice in New York under the sponsorship of American Music Center's NewMusicBox editor, Frank Oteri.
His music has been performed by Gary Thomas (Miles Davis), Edna Huang (Sonora Ensemble), Jacqueline Poulauf and Noah Getz (Pictures on Silence) Barry Dove (Global Percussion Ensemble), concert pianist Ruth Rose, the Atlantic Reed Consort, Blues In The Night Orchestra, and the Powerhouse Big Band / Essex Community College.
2017
His ensemble, Baltimore Jazz Works, performed at Light City, Artscape's Main Stage, and Free Fall Baltimore. In addition, he performed a New Music solo concert for Artscape at Favely Hall in MICA's Brown Center.
2015 - 2017
Has performed for 3 consecutive years at Baltimore's Free Fall Arts Festival with his ensemble, Baltimore Jazz Works. These concerts include compositions by various Baltimore jazz composers.
2015 - 2018
Composer/Performer/Speaker for the “New Day Campaign”, a Baltimore arts initiative designed to help people cope with the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction issues.
2011
Maryland Life Magazine's August 2011 online issue featured a piece about his video work, "The Maryland Suite," a work-in-progress encompassing new music and photography.
He was the featured performer for Baltimore Clayworks 2011 Winterfest Jazz Preview
2009
In 2009, the Fletcher School of Music's Powerhouse Big Band and Level III Jazz Ensembles featured his compositions and arrangements in concert, plus the school featured his ensemble performing a concert of original music.
2009 also saw him as founder, director and pianist for Baltimore Jazz Works, which performed two concerts at An die Musik, featuring compositions of all 18 jazz composers featured in the Baltimore Jazz Real Book.
2008
His 1988 composition, Free Fall, was used as the theme music for the Maryland Public Television produced TV commercials, promoting the 2008 Baltimore Free Fall Festival.
2005
He conceived and organized the First Annual Baltimore Jazz Composers Showcase, which was held on October 23, 2005, at the Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center. This event was the subject of a feature article in the Baltimore Sun by writer Carl Schoettler.
In May of 2005, he debuted the original composition, "My Front Yard" on Maryland Public Television's "Artworks This Week," as part of the promotion for a Baltimore Composers Forum concert. He returned to the station in October 2005 to perform another composition, "Emerald Raindrops," which was featured in the First Annual Baltimore Jazz Composers Showcase.
He was commissioned by Heritage Theatre Artists' Consortium to write original music for the June/July 2005 world premiere of the play, "Levy's Ghost", by Lewis Schrager and directed by Harriet Lynn that was produced aboard the USS Constellation in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The play has been featured on Maryland Public Television's "Artworks This Week," Fox-45 TV, and reviewed by the Baltimore Sun.
2002
2002 saw his debut of his eleven-movement piece, "The St. Petersburg Suite," as part of Baltimore's Vivat! St. Petersburg Festival.
1997
In 1997, they entered into a publishing agreement with Transition Music, (Hollywood) and subsequently have had a song placed in the New Image Entertainment film production, "October 22nd."
1996
1996 saw the release of the CD single, "Go Home/Ride Me Home" by him and his late wife's original music roots rock band, "Jane Lamar & Snidley's Daughter," which received extensive acclaim and airplay in Europe. The same year, he performed for 6 weeks as the on stage pianist in Center Stage's production of Noel Cowards' Private Lives.
1987
In 1987, he founded JAZZ STREET STATION, an ensemble that performs the work of Greater Metropolitan Baltimore area jazz composers. In 1994, he engineered and produced the ensemble's debut CD, "The Rhythm Of Love," which was selected to appear on the 1994 Grammy Nominations Ballot and nominated for a Washington Area Music Association award in the
contemporary jazz category. In the summer of 2000, "Flashback," one of his compositions from this CD, achieved the rank of #13 out of 800 listings in the MP3.com jazz vocalist genre competition.
Under his leadership as Artist Director and pianist, the group performed over six dozen concerts throughout the Mid-Atlantic region including the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Oregon Ridge Park, Blues Alley, Baltimore Museum of Art, Wilmington Cityfest, King of France Tavern, Walters' Art Gallery, Frederick Festival of the Arts, Charleston Jazz Series and the Shore Jazz Society.
The group was selected as Round 3 Semifinalists in Musicians Magazine's "1996 Best Unsigned Band Competition," the only jazz group from Maryland in over 3,000 entries nationwide.
Honors: A former resident of Silver Spring, MD, he was nominated for the D.C. Mayor's Award for "Outstanding Emerging Artist." That same year, he was a finalist in American Mensa's "Arthur SIG Exchequer Award" for artistic excellence. He competed in the First Annual Theolonius Monk International Jazz Piano Competition and has been awarded two music composition grants by the Maryland State Arts Council for demonstrating "exceptional creativity and originality." He performed as a solo pianist for the Honorable John Conyers (D-Mich) and the Congressional Black Caucus, and was featured as a performer/panelist at the D.C. Federation of Musicians Jazz Symposium. His biography is listed in "Who's Who in the East" and "2000 Outstanding Musicians of the 20th Century."
Education: He attended the University of Maryland as a Music Education Major. He has studied improvisation and composition privately with internationally acclaimed jazz pianists/composers Jessica Williams and Marc Copeland, and studied composition and orchestration with 20th Century composer John Stevens, himself a student of Pierre Boulez.
Media: His activities have been highlighted in International Musician, the National Jazz Service Organization Jazz Journal, Music Monthly, the Washington Post, the Baltimore Sun, the Baltimore City Paper, Maryland Live Magazine, Alive Magazine, and All About Jazz. He's performed on Fox 45's Morning News and twice on Maryland Public Television.
Radio features have included WBJC, WJHU, WEAA, WPFW and WTRI.
Organizations: He currently holds membership in the following: American Music Center, Sebelius Music, All About Jazz, American Federation of Musicians (locals 40-543/161-710), Broadcast Music Inc.(BMI), American Mensa, Baltimore Composers Forum (President/Vice-President/Secretary/Composer/Pianist/Recording Archivist), Baltimore Jazz Alliance (Life Member), Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, and the Baltimore Songwriters Association.
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A member of the Baltimore Composers Forum since 1992 he has debuted and performed over thirty new works. He has also served as board member, secretary, vice president, and president.
He was showcased twice in New York under the sponsorship of American Music Center's NewMusicBox editor, Frank Oteri.
His music has been performed by Gary Thomas (Miles Davis), Edna Huang (Sonora Ensemble), Jacqueline Poulauf and Noah Getz (Pictures on Silence) Barry Dove (Global Percussion Ensemble), concert pianist Ruth Rose, the Atlantic Reed Consort, Blues In The Night Orchestra, and the Powerhouse Big Band / Essex Community College.
2017
His ensemble, Baltimore Jazz Works, performed at Light City, Artscape's Main Stage, and Free Fall Baltimore. In addition, he performed a New Music solo concert for Artscape at Favely Hall in MICA's Brown Center.
2015 - 2017
Has performed for 3 consecutive years at Baltimore's Free Fall Arts Festival with his ensemble, Baltimore Jazz Works. These concerts include compositions by various Baltimore jazz composers.
2015 - 2018
Composer/Performer/Speaker for the “New Day Campaign”, a Baltimore arts initiative designed to help people cope with the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction issues.
2011
Maryland Life Magazine's August 2011 online issue featured a piece about his video work, "The Maryland Suite," a work-in-progress encompassing new music and photography.
He was the featured performer for Baltimore Clayworks 2011 Winterfest Jazz Preview
2009
In 2009, the Fletcher School of Music's Powerhouse Big Band and Level III Jazz Ensembles featured his compositions and arrangements in concert, plus the school featured his ensemble performing a concert of original music.
2009 also saw him as founder, director and pianist for Baltimore Jazz Works, which performed two concerts at An die Musik, featuring compositions of all 18 jazz composers featured in the Baltimore Jazz Real Book.
2008
His 1988 composition, Free Fall, was used as the theme music for the Maryland Public Television produced TV commercials, promoting the 2008 Baltimore Free Fall Festival.
2005
He conceived and organized the First Annual Baltimore Jazz Composers Showcase, which was held on October 23, 2005, at the Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center. This event was the subject of a feature article in the Baltimore Sun by writer Carl Schoettler.
In May of 2005, he debuted the original composition, "My Front Yard" on Maryland Public Television's "Artworks This Week," as part of the promotion for a Baltimore Composers Forum concert. He returned to the station in October 2005 to perform another composition, "Emerald Raindrops," which was featured in the First Annual Baltimore Jazz Composers Showcase.
He was commissioned by Heritage Theatre Artists' Consortium to write original music for the June/July 2005 world premiere of the play, "Levy's Ghost", by Lewis Schrager and directed by Harriet Lynn that was produced aboard the USS Constellation in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The play has been featured on Maryland Public Television's "Artworks This Week," Fox-45 TV, and reviewed by the Baltimore Sun.
2002
2002 saw his debut of his eleven-movement piece, "The St. Petersburg Suite," as part of Baltimore's Vivat! St. Petersburg Festival.
1997
In 1997, they entered into a publishing agreement with Transition Music, (Hollywood) and subsequently have had a song placed in the New Image Entertainment film production, "October 22nd."
1996
1996 saw the release of the CD single, "Go Home/Ride Me Home" by him and his late wife's original music roots rock band, "Jane Lamar & Snidley's Daughter," which received extensive acclaim and airplay in Europe. The same year, he performed for 6 weeks as the on stage pianist in Center Stage's production of Noel Cowards' Private Lives.
1987
In 1987, he founded JAZZ STREET STATION, an ensemble that performs the work of Greater Metropolitan Baltimore area jazz composers. In 1994, he engineered and produced the ensemble's debut CD, "The Rhythm Of Love," which was selected to appear on the 1994 Grammy Nominations Ballot and nominated for a Washington Area Music Association award in the
contemporary jazz category. In the summer of 2000, "Flashback," one of his compositions from this CD, achieved the rank of #13 out of 800 listings in the MP3.com jazz vocalist genre competition.
Under his leadership as Artist Director and pianist, the group performed over six dozen concerts throughout the Mid-Atlantic region including the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Oregon Ridge Park, Blues Alley, Baltimore Museum of Art, Wilmington Cityfest, King of France Tavern, Walters' Art Gallery, Frederick Festival of the Arts, Charleston Jazz Series and the Shore Jazz Society.
The group was selected as Round 3 Semifinalists in Musicians Magazine's "1996 Best Unsigned Band Competition," the only jazz group from Maryland in over 3,000 entries nationwide.
Honors: A former resident of Silver Spring, MD, he was nominated for the D.C. Mayor's Award for "Outstanding Emerging Artist." That same year, he was a finalist in American Mensa's "Arthur SIG Exchequer Award" for artistic excellence. He competed in the First Annual Theolonius Monk International Jazz Piano Competition and has been awarded two music composition grants by the Maryland State Arts Council for demonstrating "exceptional creativity and originality." He performed as a solo pianist for the Honorable John Conyers (D-Mich) and the Congressional Black Caucus, and was featured as a performer/panelist at the D.C. Federation of Musicians Jazz Symposium. His biography is listed in "Who's Who in the East" and "2000 Outstanding Musicians of the 20th Century."
Education: He attended the University of Maryland as a Music Education Major. He has studied improvisation and composition privately with internationally acclaimed jazz pianists/composers Jessica Williams and Marc Copeland, and studied composition and orchestration with 20th Century composer John Stevens, himself a student of Pierre Boulez.
Media: His activities have been highlighted in International Musician, the National Jazz Service Organization Jazz Journal, Music Monthly, the Washington Post, the Baltimore Sun, the Baltimore City Paper, Maryland Live Magazine, Alive Magazine, and All About Jazz. He's performed on Fox 45's Morning News and twice on Maryland Public Television.
Radio features have included WBJC, WJHU, WEAA, WPFW and WTRI.
Organizations: He currently holds membership in the following: American Music Center, Sebelius Music, All About Jazz, American Federation of Musicians (locals 40-543/161-710), Broadcast Music Inc.(BMI), American Mensa, Baltimore Composers Forum (President/Vice-President/Secretary/Composer/Pianist/Recording Archivist), Baltimore Jazz Alliance (Life Member), Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, and the Baltimore Songwriters Association.
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