Executive & Artistic Director

Thor Steingraber

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THE WORLD FAMOUS GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA

"IN THE HOLIDAY MOOD"

Sat Dec 14 | 3pm

Running Time: 2 hours including a 20-minute intermission

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Program | Program Note

Musicians

BIOGRAPHIES

The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra | Erik Stabnau | Jenny Swoish

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About Us

Our Supporters | The Soraya Team

The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra

The first Glenn Miller Orchestra did not make it at all. It was a total and absolute economic failure. But Glenn knew what he wanted, held to that dedication and relentlessly worked to succeed. He launched his second band – the one that lives on today – in March of 1938. The Glenn Miller Orchestra has been a “hit” ever since. The legendary Glenn Miller was one of the most successful of all dance bandleaders back in the Swing Era of the 1930’s and 40’s. A matchless string of hit records, the constant impact of radio broadcasts and the drawing power at theatres, hotels and dance pavilion, built and sustained the momentum of popularity. Glenn disbanded his musical organization in 1942 at the height of its popularity to volunteer for the Army. There, he organized and led the famous Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band . It went to Europe to entertain servicemen performing numerous live and radio shows. On December 15, 1944, Major Miller took off in a single engine plane from Europe to precede his band to France, disappearing over the English Channel, never to be seen again. The army declared him officially dead a year later. With the release of the major motion movie The Glenn Miller Story featuring Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson in 1954, interest and popular demand led the Miller Estate to authorize the formation of the present Glenn Miller Orchestra. On June 6, 1956, and under the direction of drummer Ray McKinley who had become the unofficial leader of the Army Air Force Band after Glenn’s disappearance, the reformed Glenn Miller Orchestra performed its first concert and has been on the road ever since. Other leaders have followed Ray including clarinetists Buddy DeFranco and Peanuts Hucko, trombonists Buddy Morrow, Jimmy Henderson, Larry O’Brien and Gary Tole, and tenor saxophonist Dick Gerhart. Since January 2012, vocalist Nick Hilscher leads the band. Today, the 18 member ensemble continues to play many of the original Miller arrangements both from the civilian band and the AAFB libraries. Additionally, it also plays some more modern selections arranged and performed in the Miller style and sound. Just as it was in Glenn’s day, the Glenn Miller Orchestra today is still the most sought-after big band in the world.

Erik Stabnau (Music Director/Saxophone)

Erik brings his lifelong enthusiasm for big band music to each performance of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Having grown up with a love for the music of the swing era, Erik naturally gravitated toward Glenn Miller, drawn to his recognizable melodies and the distinctive sound of his reed section. A Western New York native, Erik learned to play the saxophone, flute, and clarinet in a variety of disciplines before developing an interest in the large ensembles of Ellington, Basie, Dorsey, Miller and others. Excited to pursue a future in music, he attended college at the Eastman School of Music in his hometown of Rochester, earning a Bachelor of Music in Jazz and Contemporary Media. Intent on broadening his education, Erik went onto study music business and recording with a master’s degree in Audio Arts from Syracuse University. Prior to his time with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Erik performed and recorded as a bandleader and sideman throughout the Northeast, adding to his credentials experience as an educator, clinician, writer, and arranger. He was thrilled with the opportunity to join the orchestra in June 2017 on tenor saxophone, playing the music and solos that Tex Beneke first made famous in the 1930’s and 40’s. As a member of the band, Erik has performed across the US in 48 states and abroad in Canada and Japan and now is honored to step in front of the orchestra as its music director.

Jenny Swoish (Vocalist)

Jenny Swoish is a vocalist and songwriter with a lifelong passion for performing. A native of Southern California, she began studying piano, theater, voice and dance at a young age. After singing “stage” versions of works by George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin, her interest in jazz blossomed through the classics of the Great American Songbook. She was inspired when exploring different interpretations by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Sara Vaughn and Dinah Washington along with modern vocalists such as Jane Monheit and Peter Eldridge. Jenny earned her bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from California State University, Long Beach. She studied with critically acclaimed vocalist and educator Christine Guter as well as performed in multiple award-winning ensembles. Because of her passion for the sound, texture and energy of big band music, Jenny loves singing with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Moreover, she delights in the chance to see and experience so much of the world while on tour. But what gives Jenny the most joy is bringing the nostalgic sound of Glenn Miller to the thousands of fans who express their thanks and happiness at hearing the songs that evoke such pleasant memories. When not singing with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Jenny performs her original music and works as a voice over artist in Nashville. She released her latest album of classic and original jazz music, Tonight...in Dreamland, in the Spring of 2023.