Nick Gaudette

Virtuosic bass pioneer Nick Gaudette picked up a cello and tuned it as a bass at the age of 5 and has continued playing classical and non-classical music ever since. After completing a Bachelors and Masters in Music at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Nick helped form the chamber music fiddle project called The Orange Mighty Trio, where he plays bass mostly with the bow, treating the instrument like a large violin. The Trio has performed across the country including both coasts ranging from Seattle to L.A. to NYC in addition to writing scores for multiple indie films and commercials. The trio still performs regularly to this day in regional venues.

As a performer, Nick is an active bass player who has performed with the Chanhassen Dinner Theater, Theater Latte Da, The Children's Theater, The South Dakota Symphony, as well as various other groups across the mid-west. He is also a progressive composer writing works for the Trio, local modern dance companies, the Macalaster big band, as well as writing and co-directing the eclectic new-age ensembles called the Cherry Spoon Collective. He was a recipient of the 416 Club Commissions by the Cedar Cultural Center as well as a State Arts Board Artists Initiative grant.

Originally a part time educator and full time performer, Nick was given the opportunity to head the music department at the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists (SPCPA) where he set an intense high school musical arts curriculum on aspiring 21st century artists in grades 9-12. While at SPCPA, Nick returned to get his MN teaching license along with a Master of Arts in Teaching from Mankato State University. Shortly after receiving his official teaching credentials, Nick took the position at Edina High School where he resides today. As the conductor of Sinfonia, Varsity, and Concert Orchestra, Nick has recorded with the EHS Chamber Orchestra in Studio M at MPR and has traveled with the EHS symphony orchestra on an international tour to the Western Caribbean. He is also a recipient of the Edina Education Fund grants for classroom teachers.

“Edina is a great community to thrive artistically. The students are so eager to learn, and their ability is top notch. I look forward every year to the performance opportunities that we collectively share. I believe that being an educator (in music) is a great way that I can stay true to my craft as an artist. I have to be honest in the classroom with open ears, listening to their stories and their interests. I feel lucky everyday because I get to perform with this amazing group multiple times a year. They (the orch students of EHS) give me hope for the future of the arts!!!”

Jack Reynertson

Jack began his performance career at the age of one when he first heard “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and started singing this tune to himself while out for a ride in his stroller. 

His true love of music emerged when he decided to become a music teacher and attended St. Olaf College from 2016-2020, performing as a percussionist with the St. Olaf Band and St. Olaf Orchestra and participating on eight performance tours. 

For the 2020-2021 school year, Jack taught 5th, 6th, and high school orchestra in Burlington Wisconsin where he provided individual, small group, and large ensemble instruction. As a Wisconsin teacher, Jack studied CMP (comprehensive musicianship through performance), a teaching model which continues to inform his passionate advocacy for education that serves the entire person.  

As a conductor, Jack has led public school, collegiate, and professional ensembles in rehearsal and performance. Jack founded the Interlude Chamber Orchestra, a summer ensemble for students in his hometown, which he led as music director for two summers during his Undergraduate studies. He premiered a new work by Andrew Boysen Jr. with the St. Olaf Band and led St. Olaf Orchestra members in a performance of Stravinsky’s dazzling Danses Concertantes. Most recently, Jack studied as a conducting fellow with the Boise Baroque Orchestra, where he performed on two digital concerts. 

Jack has a deep, abiding love for teaching music and working with young people. His greatest passion in life is helping people grow into the best people they can be and he is excited to have the opportunity to teach at Edina High School. In his free time, Jack likes to read all kinds of books, is an avid consumer of animated tv shows, and enjoys going for long walks in nature with his friends and family. He continues to enjoy practicing and performing music as a violist, percussionist, and amateur piano player. As his family and friends will tell you, he still sings to himself every day.