John Toomey has recently joined the Music Department of Old Dominion University as Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies and Music Technology. Prior to coming to Virginia, he was Music Director and Keyboardist for jazz trumpet legend Maynard Ferguson, with whom he recorded two albums. He has appeared at the Berlin Jazz Festival and the Playboy Jazz Festival, as well as numerous jazz venues across the country. He has performed with such artists as Marion McPartland, Milt Hinton, Ron Carter, Chuck Mangione, and Woody Shaw. Mr. Toomey currently leads his own quartet which performs regularly in the Tidewater area, and has performed with the Virginia Symphony, backing up such artists as Cab Calloway and Byron Stripling. He recently placed third in the finals of the International Great American Jazz Piano Competition held inJacksonville, Florida. Previous finalists include Harry Connick, Jr. and Marcus Roberts. [extracted from 1992 brochure]