Tim Whalen

“Tim Whalen is a serious improviser.”
– Tom Laskin, Isthmus Newspaper
There are people who come into this world that are meant to be special. Tim Whalen is one of these people. His love, passion, and dedication to his art come through in everything he touches, and in a very short time he has been blessed with opportunities to write and play music with some incredible people. He has played all over the United States, Japan, and Europe in many different musical situations, and has written music for a wide range of styles. Whether he is playing jazz, funk, pop, or laying it down in a hip-hop band, Tim is as versatile as they come. Needless to say, the future is bright for Tim Whalen.
Whalen is held in high regard as a composer, arranger, and orchestrator. His most recent accomplishment is his string orchestration for the Oscar-winning song “El Otro Lado del Rio” from the film “The Motorcycle Diaries.” Tim has also written music for commercials as well as jazz and classical ensembles. Versatility is so important these days, and he is equally at home writing music for an orchestra as he is writing for a jazz quintet.
After being awarded a full-tuition music scholarship to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Tim began his college career as a voice student with hopes of becoming an opera singer. It was not meant to be, as his drive to play jazz took over. In his sophomore year in 1994 Tim switched degrees to study jazz. He has just recently completed his Master’s Degree from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City where he studied under scholarship with Kenny Barron, Garry Dial, David Liebman, Phil Markowitz, and Ted Rosenthal.
In 1996, while still at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Whalen formed the funk / soul band Phat Phunktion. This amazing nine-piece band has shared the stage with some of the most legendary performers of our time including Chick Corea, Maceo Parker, Tower of Power, WAR, Taj Mahal, Rick James, The Brothers Johnson, and the "Original P" featuring original members of Parliament. They just recently completed a hugely successful tour of Japan as well.
“On You and Me, the band’s first release on a national label, producers Tim Whalen and Al Falaschi demonstrate a talent for crafting strong, danceable tracks.”
- JazzTimes Magazine
Not one to stand still musically, Whalen is also very busy with new projects including the Tim Whalen Nonet. As musical director and chief composer and arranger, Tim has formed a hard-swinging, unique band that plays with the intricacy of a big band but maintains the freedom of a small group. Madison’s Capital Times Newspaper named their performance at the 2003 Isthmus Jazz Festival in Madison the “Jazz Performance of the Year”.
“Whalen is pursuing a master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music in New York, but pray he moves back to Madison. His nine-piece ensemble exemplified the art of the arranger in straight-ahead jazz.”p.– Kevin Lynch, The Capital Times
Tim also believes very strongly in the importance of music education. Until professional obligations became too great, he was a member of the jazz faculty at the Manhattan School of Music Preparatory Division, which is one of the most prestigious pre-college music programs in the country. He also teaches jazz piano privately in the New York and Madison areas.