Meet the Conductor of the TOCCOA Jazz -- Yurii  Henriques

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Yurii Henriques is currently Assistant Professor of Music and Music Education at Toccoa Falls College where he teaches a large variety of music and music education courses, coordinates the music education program, and directs the Concert and Jazz Bands. 

He has taught and conducted in three different regions of the country and in five different states, beginning his teaching career at Kingswood-Oxford School (CT) and then as the Band and Orchestra Director at South Windsor High School (CT).   He has been fortunate to teach at a number of institutions, including the Hartt School Conservatory (CT), Samford University (AL), Birmingham-Southern College (AL), and Covenant College (GA).  He was also Visiting Director of Bands and Orchestras at Dordt College (IA).   

As a conductor, Mr. Henriques has guest conducted the Alabama Philharmonic Orchestra, the Red Mountain Chamber Orchestra (AL), the Northwest Iowa Honor Festival Orchestra, the Capitol Symphonic Winds (CT), the South Windsor High School (CT) Masterworks Chorale, the Hampshire College Chorus (MA), and at the Atlanta International Conductors Workshop and Competition.  He has also been the music director of the Alabama Youth Symphony and the Northwest Iowa Youth Symphony Orchestra. 

Mr. Henriques has performed as a woodwind specialist for the Red Mountain Theater Company, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the Toccoa Jazz, the Celtic Women, Larnell Harris, and the Alabama Philharmonic Orchestra.  He has also served as a clinician and adjudicator for several school and college ensembles and as a jazz arranger for the award-winning University of Massachusetts Jazz Ensemble I.

In addition to receiving numerous ensemble awards throughout his career, Mr. Henriques has been nominated and selected into “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers” four times, into the American School Band Director Association, as one of “50 Directors Who Make a Difference” by School Band and Orchestra Magazine, and as the recipient of the Vulcan Award for Teaching Excellence at Toccoa Falls College.  He is grateful to God for his family and for the incredible opportunity to have worked with all kinds of musicians from the ages of 9 to 90.