ABOUT GREG BRUCE

Greg Bruce is a multifaceted saxophonist, improvisor, and composer from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. As a musical anarchist who blurs the lines between classical, jazz, folk, and pop, Greg plays with a diverse range of ensembles and can be heard on a variety of recordings. He is a consummate performer who is equally comfortable playing with street bands, at academic conferences, in bars, or in concert halls; and who has played extensively in Canada, as well as in the US, the UK, France, Italy and Russia.

Greg’s current creative focus brings together his passion for music and technology: feedback saxophone. At the University of Toronto, Greg designed a microphone-augmented saxophone capable of producing controlled, dynamic, sonic feedback tones that act independently of its conventional sound. In this research-creation project, he harnesses the creative potential of feedback through improvisation and composition to expand the expressive capabilities of the saxophone.

Greg will be carrying out the remainder of this innovative research under a two-year SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship at U of T, where he also works as a TA in the saxophone studio of Dr. Wallace Halladay and as an RA under Dr. Aiyun Huang in the TaPIR Lab. Additionally, Greg is a Unit 1 Steward for CUPE 3902 at the Faculty of Music.

In the music industry, Greg is perhaps best known for leading the award-winning “folk-funk-jazz” group, Ouroboros. Through Greg’s leadership, the band has released two full-length recordings as well as a play along book; they have performed in festivals in Canada, the US, and the UK; and they have earned two MusicNL awards, an ECMA award as well as several nominations, two NL Arts and Letters awards; and have been awarded many grants.

Greg has also composed for solo saxophone, done extensive horn-section arranging, and composed for chamber ensembles using graphic scores. His is a winner of multiple NL Arts and Letters Awards, and his music can be heard on radio across Canada, as well as independent film. In 2017, Greg was commissioned by the Newfoundland Symphony Youth Orchestra to write Spear and Sand, which was premiered by the NSYO in April 2018.

As an educator, Greg has been teaching for over 15 years. He has worked as an instructor at Memorial University and has maintained a private studio throughout his career. He has adjudicated festivals and competitions, and has led countless masterclasses and workshops on topics such as saxophone technique, improvisation, and building an electroacoustic practice

Greg is a former dancer and helped found St. John’s first breakdance group in 2005, East Rock Crew. Over a span of 10 years, ERC toured, competed, and performed at numerous events, including the Canada Dance Festival. Greg also has extensive experience and training as a meditator and yoga practitioner. Greg is former president of AFM/CFM Local 820 – the Newfoundland and Labrador Musicians’ Association and worked as Assistant to the Director of Administration at the CFM head office.