Gene Knific
Since he was a child, Gene Knific has been involved in music. He started to learn piano at just five years old, while he found his true love for music in middle school. He currently studies at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music pursuing degrees in jazz performance and composition.
Notable performances include The Copenhagen Opera House and Montmartre Jazzhus in 2012, the 2011 International Society of Bassists Convention in San Francisco, and The Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2013. He is scheduled to appear at the Mozambique International Festival of Music as well as to tour the American Midwest with his jazz trio in 2014. Highlights of the tour will include the Elkhart Jazz Festival and Fontana Chamber Arts Jazz Series.
Knific enjoys being able to connect with people through music, which he does through his performances as well as a composer. He has had numerous chamber and jazz works performed, including a recent premiere of his Elegy for Connor for mixed chamber ensemble sponsored by the Stamps Charitable Foundation and a recording of a big band score with rock legend Steve Miller. Because of his dedication to classical music, Knific has been awarded several grants for writing projects and study. This includes a prestigious grant from the Knight Foundation for the production of a self-produced feature film.
