Todd Groves
Todd Groves
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Saxophone
- Website: toddgrovesmusic.com
Todd Groves is a New York City-based performer and composer specializing in saxophones, flutes, clarinets, recorders, and ethnic flutes. He performs regularly in a variety of musical settings including jazz, classical, commercial, and ethnic music.
Groves has performed with various ensembles, including the New York Philharmonic, American Symphony Orchestra, and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, he has performed with such noted singers and instrumentalists as Kristin Chenoweth, Natalie Cole, Michael Crawford, Linda Eder, Michael Feinstein, Aretha Franklin, Joel Grey, Johnny Mathis, Paul McCartney, Audra McDonald, Andy Narrell, Bernadette Peters, Lou Rawls, Meryl Streep, Tommy Tune, Gino Vannelli, Grover Washington, Jr., Kenny Werner, Buster Williams, and many others. His Broadway/NY pit credits include Aladdin The Musical (current), Motown The Musical, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Follies, Catch Me If You Can, Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Women on the Verge, Ragtime, White Christmas, Sunday in the Park with George, Grey Gardens, Merrily We Roll Along, Damn Yankees, The Wiz, Happiness, Anyone Can Whistle, Yank!, Edward Scissorhands, See What I Wanna See, Mother Courage and Her Children, Play Without Words, and Broadway on Broadway.
Groves currently plays with a varied array of ensembles including Celtic Duo (ethnic flutes, harp/voice), Justin Rothberg Band, Loose Cannon, the New Jersey Saxophone Quartet (tenor), Raw Deal (original funk band), and the University of Delaware faculty jazz ensemble. Todd has also performed with the Greater Trenton Symphony, Lars Halle Jazz Orchestra (lead alto), Joe Sudler's Swing Machine, Marlon Spike (original rock band), and others. He has played on numerous recordings, including the 2011 Emmy Awards (recorded opening and on stage with Catch Me), R Kelly, Boyz II Men, Lucky Stiff (film), Nice Work If You Can Get It (radio ad), Follies, Catch Me If You Can, Grey Gardens, Women on the Verge, Meet John Doe, Honeymooners (workshop), Sympathy Jones, See What I Wanna See, Carols for a Cure 2009 and 2010, Mother Courage, Victoria Clark, 2 Raw Deal releases, Duo (with Rob Brosh), Kayle Brecher, Jane Norman, MTI Junior, Lars Halle, Joshua Kobak, Minas, Marlon Spike, New Jersey Saxophone Quartet, Eric Kearns, Josh Young, and Hem (indie-folk rock). Additionally, he has appeared as guest soloist with the Del'Arte Woodwind Quintet, Delaware Steel, the Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey, University of the Arts Big Band, University of Delaware Jazz, University of Delaware Wind Ensemble, and the Wind Symphony of Southern New Jersey. He performed on The Late Show with David Letterman with Catch Me If You Can (2011) and Nice Work If You Can Get It (2012).
Faculty positions include the University of Delaware since 2003, Rowan University, the Pennington School, and the Conservatory of Musical Arts, in addition to the Conservatory of Music of Brooklyn College. He has served as an adjudicator and clinician at various jazz festivals throughout Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and he has given flute and piccolo master classes for high school students preparing for county, region, and all-state auditions as well as classes for university students. He also teaches privately in New York and New Jersey.
Groves is an active composer/arranger. His original composition for saxophone quartet, "Delaware Jazz Suite," received its world premiere by the New Jersey Saxophone Quartet at the World Saxophone Congress in Slovenia and was subsequently performed by the group at their Carnegie Hall debut. His Nonet performed a recital of his own works at the University of Delaware. He also produced the albums Duo, Encoded, and One Step Closer and is working on a jazz quartet CD of original compositions.
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