BIO

Thom Avella (they/them) is a saxophonist and composer-arranger currently based in Glens Falls, New York. Avella’s music is a reflection of their lifelong obsession with the sounds of a wide spectrum of styles, from bebop, pop and classical music to hip hop, death metal, indie rock, electronic music, hardcore punk, and most things in between. Avella seeks to combine this passion for the art of sound with their diverse experiences as a musician, from placing third at the 2018 North American Saxophone Alliance Collegiate Jazz Competition, to earning degrees in composition from the Crane School of Music and William Paterson University in 2019 and 2022, as well as their work as a bandleader, collaborative artist, and singer-songwriter (the latter as Taylor Moniker).

A native of Long Island, Avella has been based out of Upstate New York since 2023 and has become a fixture of the area’s jazz scene. They are the leader of “chordless” trio TA + 2 featuring bassist Jason Emmond and drummer Nick Anderson, as well as a co-leader of Avella-Ambrose & Associates, a quintet, with guitarist Wyatt Ambrose. Avella also performs regularly at public and private events with the Erin Harkes Band and Silver Arrow Band, and they’ve made appearances with local groups such as the Big Soul Ensemble, Upstate Composers Orchestra, New York-Vermont Wind Orchestra, and the Trojan Horns.

Avella’s musical stylings have been heard in venues throughout the Upstate area, including Alias Coffee, 518 Craft, MoJo’s Cafe and Gallery (Troy), The Linda, Ophelia’s, the Jive Hive (Albany), the Van Dyck, the MainStage at Proctors Theatre (Schenectady), 9 Maple Avenue (Saratoga Springs), B Side Ballroom (Oneonta) and Funk ‘n Waffles (Syracuse).

As a lifelong fan of music as well as being a practitioner of it, Avella is the writer of a Substack publication called Food of Love, a series of essays on music, musicians, and culture which is also available on their YouTube channel.

Additionally, Avella is active as an educator, particularly with the Empire State Youth Orchestra’s CHIME Program, where they serve as a Teaching Artist. In this capacity, they provide saxophone instruction to elementary, middle and high school students throughout the Schenectady area.

To learn more about Avella’s musical and professional experience, check out their CV.