Bio

Thomas Madeja is an experienced music director, performer, and teacher. After earning a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Illinois and his Masters from Baylor University, he began his career in Philadelphia where he was soon in high demand as a trumpet player and as a teaching artist playing with regional symphony orchestras like Symphony in C and Philly jazz mainstays like Bobby Zankel’s Warriors of the Wonderful Sound and teaching for The Philadelphia Orchestra’s School Partnership Program.

In 2010, Tom relocated to Chicago where he joined the faculty of The People’s Music School, the only tuition free youth music school in the country. In 2013, he founded The Chicago Metamorphosis Orchestra Project (ChiMOP) to address the growing need for quality arts programming in the city’s under-resourced communities. ChiMOP provides several program initiatives in the form of multifaceted community youth orchestra projects throughout the city’s west side. These projects are unique to the communities served and employ the exceptionally talented artists living in these communities as faculty and staff.

Tom is also on faculty of The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) where he works to develop the next generation of diverse, artistically promising scholar-artists through intensive pre-professional training in the arts, and DePaul University’s Community Music Division where he has helped grow the New Horizons concert band and jazz ensemble programs. Tom maintains a busy trumpet playing schedule performing with local and international Latin music artists, regional theaters, and his own jazz trio and brass ensemble.

Thomas J Madeja: tjmadeja@gmail.com | 315-212-2714