home    news    about    music / store    press    links    contact    circle of light    wadley prints
	MISSION STATEMENT: The Creative Opportunity Orchestra (CO2) is devoted to exploring the many traditions and facets of Jazz Music; to nurture and develop professional musicians and artists and to increase awareness, education, and appreciation of these art forms and cultures. CO2 strives, through performances and school programs, to create, collaborate, perform, promote and present to a diverse audience original compositions and the art of improvisational jazz, as well as culturally varied educational programs. CO2's core composer/musicians include (click artist's name for more info): - Tina Marsh (Artistic Director/vocalist) - Alex Coke (woodwinds) - John Mills (woodwinds) - Bob Rodriguez (piano) - Jay Rozen (tuba) - Brian Allen (trombone) - Dennis Dotson (trumpet) - Pat Murray (trumpet) - Eddy Hobizal (piano) Among the many pioneers on the Austin music scene, the Creative Opportunity Orchestra stands as one of the boldest and certainly the jazziest. Beginning in 1980, CO2 dared to cross the unknown frontiers of avant-garde jazz and improvisational music. Led by Texas Hall of Fame vocalist Tina Marsh, whose singing has been called “scat to the highest power,” CO2 set out to break free of the pressures of commercial nightclub performance and explore composition and improvisation possibilities in a large-group format. With innovative compositions, laced with free-form inventions and the unique vocalizations of Marsh, CO2 has accelerated the genre into the modern age with an avant-garde jazz sound mixed with a world music sensibility. Originally consisting of 20 members, the orchestra has involved more than 200 musicians over its 26 years, including guest artists such as Roscoe Mitchell, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Billy Hart, and Kenny Wheeler.CO2 has established a position as a respected musical organization in Austin (Artistic Director Tina Marsh was inducted into the Texas Music Hall of Fame in 2001), and has also garnered much national and international acclaim. From 2002-2006 CO2 has produced its annual NEW JAZZ Series, which highlights local jazz musicians as well as featuring national artists, including Hamiet Bluiett, Fred Hess, Ron Miles, Sue Mingus, Boris Koslov, and others. CO2 has also produced outreach programs for youths throughout Texas, most recently completing a ten-year post at South Austin’s disadvantaged Becker Elementary, where Artistic Director Tina Marsh was Artist-In-Education. After school programs were established including group-drumming classes, urban dance classes, recorder classes, and much more, all led by respected musicians from the Austin region. At the end of the school year the children performed in front of their peers along with such renowned local musicians and artists as Oliver Rajamani, Martin Banks, Tina Marsh, Nicholas Young, Joel Guzman, and many others. CO2 now uses its outreach experience to produce Circle of Light, a multicultural educational holiday program. Creative Opportunity Orchestra is funded in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Aaron Copland Fund, Mid-America Arts Alliance, Chamber Music America, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Still Water Foundation, SBC Foundation, with generous help from the Austin Lyric Opera, Epistrophy Arts, DiverseArts, Blue Lapis Light, Greenlights, Zachary Scott Theatre, and Sharir+Bustamante DanceWorks.