Tom Walsh
Trombonist.Composer.Digital Sampler.
Tom Walsh began his ‘musical voyage’ as principal trombone in an orchestra at sixteen.
Tom has since performed and/or composed popular or improvisational music for such Canadian artists as Steven Barry, Jane Bunnett, Pierre Cartier, Michel F. Coté, Paul Cram, Jean Derome, Lisle Ellis, Jim Hillman, D. D. Jackson, Oliver Jones, Robert M. Lepage, René Lussier, David Mott, Mary Margaret O’Hara, poet Michael Ondaatje, Bobby Wiseman, the Cowboy Junkies, the Barenaked Ladies, and Bran Van 3000.
Besides a tour of Eastern Europe in 2000 performing his own solo trombone repertoire, he has recorded and/or performed with foreign artists such as Iva Bittova, Fred Frith, Vinny Golia, Gerry Hemingway, Julius Hemphill, Guy Kluscevek, Evan Lurie, Al MacDowell, Joe McPhee, Phil Minton, Bern Nix, Zappa’s Don Preston, and trombonists Steve Swell, Wolter Wierbos or Michael Vlatkovich in Canada, the United States or throughout Europe.
He co-leads the Walsh/Underhill Duo with Richard Underhill (of the Shuffle Demons). His unique sound has contributed to the famous growl of the Polka Dogs as well as the modernities of Toronto’s Hemispheres Orchestra (of which he was a founding member).
He created and leads the “cabaret pit orchestra of the mind”, Pots & Pans, and is co-leader of the “Plunderphonic” Actuelle duo, Midi Tapant, with Pierre Tanguay, mixing “cultural micro-quotes” in a cinematic ambiance.
For two years, he was Music Director at Montréal’s exclusive nightclub, DiSalvio, where he produced popular shows highlighting live performers and DJ’s of the Acid Jazz, House and Jungle milieus, occasionally featuring his own distinctive group, Royal Jelly.
He has conducted scores and/or improvisations in works by composers such as Jean Derome, Martin Altena, Vinny Golia, Rainer Wiens, Richard Underhill and Thelonious Monk in groups as diverse as Hemispheres in Toronto, N.O.M.A. in Montréal or Upstream in Halifax.
As composer, his commissions include Hemispheres Orchestra (twice); Upstream Ensemble; mezzo-soprano Kimberly Barber; percussionist Geordie McDonald; modern dance choreographers Estelle Clareton (thrice), José Navas (twice) and Andrew Harwood (twice); performance artist Carl Trahan; multimedia performer/marionettist Marcelle Hudon; “Interactive Media” pioneer Don Ritter; a solo trombone piece for ‘New Technology’ presenters The User; CBC Radio’s Morningside (for the 20th anniversary of Stairway to Heaven); and a brass fanfare for the new Buddies in Bad Times Theatre grand opening, Toronto.
In the world of film and theatre, he has been commissioned to compose soundtracks for filmmaker Don McKellar (Blue, featuring David Cronenberg and Tracy Wright); video artist Dennis Day (Autobiography); Theatre Passe Muraille (Jazz Opera the man with seven toes, M. Ondaatje: libretto; P. Cram, N. Gotham & V. Bateman: co-composers ) and playwright/director Daniel MacIvor (the 70-minute wordless play, Jump).
With poet/M.C./publisher Todd Swift he created Swifty Lazarus, a “Performance Poetry” duo which presents live poetry through experiments with sound and media manipulations.
As leader of N.O.M.A., he is currently working on new conducting techniques to not only broaden the compositional content of the group’s improvisations but to establish a creative process where new technologies’ effects upon old can be examined and harnessed.
You can view a detailed CV of Tom as Music Director here – CV and Tom as Leader here – CV
Tom can can be reached at
tombone at sympatico.ca
