| An active low brass performer, music educator,conductor, and composer/arranger
in the Capital District/Albany area, Michael Blostein is constantly innovating and challenging himself and his students to push musical boundaries.
As a musical educator, Mr. Blostein has been teaching at Averill Park High School since 2000. His ensembles have toured various venues throughout the country, have won numerous awards, performed in prestigious halls such as Carnegie Hall and Avery Fischer (now David Geffen) Hall, and have performed for many regional and state celebrations. Students have performed in various All-County, Suburban Council, Area All-State, Conference All-State and All-Eastern festivals and conferences, as well as been accepted to various college and university programs, including the Crane School of Music, Schenectady County Community College, Harvard University, Hartwick, Nazareth and University of Mississippi, among others. Throughout his time in Averill Park, he has taught Orchestra, Band, Jazz Ensemble, Music Theory and Music Appreciation classes, as well as all instrumental lessons.
Beginning in 2023, Mr. Blostein has been an Adjunct Low Brass Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Additionally, Mr. Blostein retains an active private studio.
Mr. Blostein's education includes a Bachelor's degree in Music Education from the Crane School of Music, where he studied tuba with Peter Popeil and composition with David Heinick, Andrew Simpson and Arthur Frackenpohl. He went on to earn a Master's degree in Music Composition from the University of Arizona, where he studied composition with Dan Asia, counterpoint with Pamela Decker, tuba with Hank Feldman and Cherry Beauregard, and conducting with Gregg Hanson. Further studies have been undertaken at Villanova University (through the University of the Arts), UMass Amherst as well as The Juilliard School. He has twice been a quarterfinalist for the GRAMMY Music Educator award, has twice been honored with the Times Union Educator award, and been included as a contributing writer in the All-Music Guide, as well as in the All-Music Guide to Classical Music.
You can learn more about Mr. Blostein by visiting his Biography page.
You may also view his Curriculum Vitae.
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