Thomas Amend

Contact Information

Professional/Academic Experience

Tom Amend is an organist, pianist, composer, and arranger from Denver, Colorado. Tom Amend performs throughout the Rocky Mountain Region in various settings as both a leader and a sideman. He has performed and recorded extensively with Colorado based Soul/Blues artists: The Burroughs and the Taylor Scott Band. Tom was selected as a semifinalist for the American Jazz Pianist Competition in 2014 and 2015, and was a finalist in concert in 2017. He also received third place at the 2015 Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition.            

As a composer, Tom draws inspiration from Jazz and Blues among many other styles. Tom’s composition, “What Do You Say” was selected to be performed by the Alan Baylock Jazz Orchestra at the 2015 JEN Student Composition Showcase in San Diego. Tom’s compositions and arrangements have been performed by the Downbeat award winning UNC Jazz Lab Band One, Vocal Lab, Chris Potter, John Fedchock, and Joey DeFrancesco.

Amend received a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies and a Masters of Music in Jazz Composition at the University of Northern Colorado. Through his association with UNC, Tom has performed with nationally recognized UNC Lab I, UNC Vanguard Combo, and Vocal Lab. As a member of these ensembles, he performed with, Chris Potter, Christian McBride, Julia Dollison, Jeff Hamilton, Joey DeFrancesco, Groove For Thought, Greg Gisbert, Deborah Brown, John Fedchock, Louis Hayes, Dave Liebman, Sheila Jordan and others.

Tom is currently an Adjunct Professor of Jazz Piano at the University of Northern Colorado and performs extensively as both a leader and a sideman.