Todd Gaffke

Title: Associate Professor
Dept/Program: Music - Saxophone
Office: Guzzetta Hall 370
Phone: 330-972-6622
Email: tgaffke@uakron.edu

Biography

Todd Gaffke enjoys a diverse musical career as a performer and educator. He has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States and in Europe performing a variety of modern saxophone works as well as classics and transcriptions. His playing has garnered numerous awards including: Downbeat Magazine’s Outstanding Classical Soloist, the Liberace Foundation Scholarship Competition winner, and 1st prize in the Plowman Chamber Music Competition. He has appeared as a member of the wind sections in the Flint, Saginaw, Midland, Jackson, and West Michigan Symphony Orchestras.

Dr. Gaffke is also adept in jazz repertoire. He performs frequently with The University of Akron Jazz Faculty Ensemble. He has performed at the Detroit Jazz Festival and Lansing Jazz Festival, and with the Harry James Orchestra and Lansing Symphony Big Band.

Dr. Gaffke is Assistant Professor of Saxophone at The University of Akron. Before coming to UA, he was Adjunct Instructor of Saxophone at Grand Valley State University and held Graduate Teaching Assistantships at Michigan State University and Central Michigan University. Dr. Gaffke earned a Bachelor of Music degree in saxophone performance from Central Michigan University, and a Master of Music in performance and Doctor of Musical Arts in saxophone performance with jazz cognate from Michigan State University. His primary teachers include Joseph Lulloff, John Nichol, and Rob Smith.