As a creative artist, trombone soloist, conductor and teacher in the classical, jazz and commercial genres, Sean Flanigan, DMA, is the director of music entrepreneurship studies at Colorado Mesa University. Flanigan has appeared as both a featured trombone soloist and guest conductor throughout the United States and abroad. He has presented solo recitals and clinics in South America at the National Conservatory in Caracas, Venezuela, and as featured guest artist (along with the Empire Brass and Jacques Mauger of the Paris Conservatory) at El Sistema’s Ibero-American Brass Festival in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. Flanigan has been invited numerous times to return to Venezuela to perform, conduct and teach for El Sistema, their world-famous orchestral training system. He has performed with numerous symphonic and opera orchestras, backed such artists as Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Heath, Clark Terry, Urbie Green, the Temptations, Johnny Mathis, Jack Jones; recorded for television, radio and commercial CDs; and performed for numerous touring Broadway shows.
He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of North Texas, where he was a student of Vern Kagarice, and Master of Music and Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign where he studied with Robert Gray. As a performing artist for Conn-Selmer, Inc., he performs on Bach 16M and Conn 88H SGX trombones exclusively.
Flanigan has a deep commitment to and passion for arts entrepreneurship, community building, collective impact and creative placemaking. At CMU, he teaches in the area of arts entrepreneurship. In developing courses such as Music Industry & Marketing and Entrepreneurship for Creatives, he is a strong believer in experiential learning, providing contemporary, real-world opportunities for students across the campus. As a coach for the CMU student elevator pitches, he has helped them win awards at the College Entrepreneurs Organization National Elevator Pitch Competition as well as the CMU Entrepreneurship Day competition.
Recognized as a creative innovator, Flanigan has given presentations on experiential learning and 21st century music entrepreneurship for both the College Music Society Summit on 21st Century Music School Design and its national conferences, and Colorado Creative Industries state conference. He most recently was invited to present at the Self Employment in the Arts Conference.
As a social entrepreneur, Flanigan is co-founder and artistic director of MusicSpark, a non-profit venture inspired by El Sistema, a world-wide visionary music education movement creating social change throughout the world. Acting on his strong belief in community development, he was a founding member of the Grand Valley Creative Alliance, a non-profit organization formed to promote and collaborate in the development of western Colorado’s creative economy.