Thomas Wirtel (a.k.a. Thomas Shabda Noor) is head of the jazz division in the School of Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In addition, he serves as the coordinator of jazz programs for the Office of Continuing Education and Public Service in Music. He is the leader of the UI Jazz Band, and he teaches jazz courses in improvisation, jazz writing, MIDI technology, jazz trumpet, and jazz pedagogy.
Prior to coming to the UI campus, Wirtel served as the director of jazz studies and technology at Northem Michigan University after having established himself as the director of jazz studies and music composition at East Texas State University. He is a graduate of the North Texas State University Jazz Studies Program, and an alumnus of the Stan Kenton Orchestra, Chicago's Jazz Members Big Band, and the Dallas Jazz Orchestra. He also earned a Doctorate in Music Composition at Indiana University.
Award and grants given to Thomas Wirtel for music composition include a Rockefeller Foundation Composer in Residence Grant (Dallas Symphony Orchestra), a Fromm Foundation Prize, two National Endowment For The Arts Jazz Grants in Faculty Research Grants in Electronic Music, and a MacDowell Colony appointment.
