Born and raised in Binghamton, NY, Kadleck attended Boston’s New England Conservatory, where he studied both classical and jazz performance. In 1986, Tony was asked to join the trumpet section of the Buddy Rich Band, and later that year, decided to move to NYC. After graduating from the Manhattan School of Music, Kadleck toured with Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Eventually, the NY recording studios kept Tony too busy to leave town, and he found himself recording with a number of artists, including Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, Luther Vandross, and Celine Dion. Kadleck also has performed in live settings with the Count Basie Orchestra, Ella Fitzgerald, Issac Hayes, and most recently Steely Dan.
In addition to playing on countless jingles and for many films and shows, Kadleck has also done a great deal of composing and arranging. Since age 15, Tony has always loved writing music. His recent CD “Around The Horn”, features ten of his arrangements for big band, about which Tony says, “There is nothing more gratifying than hearing spectacular musicians making these charts come to life.” Kadleck has drawn upon many musi- cal experiences to form his own voice, which can be heard in both his playing and in his writing throughout this release.
Kadleck is currently a member of many organizations including the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, the New York Pops, John Fedchock’s NY Big Band, the Westchester Jazz Orchestra, and John Pizzarelli’s “Swing Sev- en”. In addition, Tony is a faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music and at Montclair State University.
When asked about his musical influences, Kadleck is quick to point out a few of his teachers: Bernard Shifrin in Tony’s hometown of Binghamton, NY; Andre Come, from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and none other than Lew Soloff, now emeritus of the Manhattan Brass.