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 rose to prominence in Upstate New York’s thriving local music scene as a member of Joe Barna’s Sketches of Influence, and as the leader of “chordless” trio TA + 2 featuring bassist Jason Emmond and drummer Nick Anderson. They regularly perform with some of the area’s top talent, including Tarik Shah, Ian Macdonald, Jeremy Gold, Wyatt Ambrose, Luke Franco, Evan Jagels and more. Avella is an artist-in-residence at MoJo’s Cafe & Gallery in Troy, where TA + 2 presents live jazz on the second Thursday of every month.

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

Additionally, Avella is active as an educator, having recently joined the Empire State Youth Orchestra’s CHIME Program as a Teaching Artist. In this capacity, they provide saxophone instruction to elementary, middle and high school students throughout the Capital District.

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