Brian Handeland (he/him) is a versatile and in-demand woodwind musician who is equally at home on all of the different saxophones, flutes, and clarinets.
As a performer, he is comfortable in a number of different genres and styles of music, including jazz, pop/rock/Top 40, classical, funk, Latin, musical theater, folk/Americana, and many more. His musicianship has earned him the opportunity to perform alongside many highly-esteemed musical acts including The Temptations, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Nino Segarra, Kurt Elling, Curtis Stigers, Maria Schneider, and Wycliffe Gordon. Brian has also spent time on the road as a touring theater musician, playing multiple woodwinds on the "Shrek the Musical" International Tour, as well as on North American tours with the musicals "Elf" and "Flashdance", and with pianist Lorie Line on her 2016 Pop Chamber Orchestra Holiday Tour. He is currently a regular member with a wide variety of ensembles around the Twin Cities, including the Riverside All-Stars, the JazzMN Orchestra, Jack Brass Band, the Brass Barn Polka Band, and his own jazz combo BH4.
As an educator, Brian has taught woodwind lessons to students ranging from upper elementary aged beginners to advanced high school and college musicians, and his former students have been members of a variety of honor bands including the MN Youth Jazz Ensembles, MBDA Middle Level Honor Bands, and both the MN and WI All-State Concert Bands. In addition to private lessons, Brian has also worked as a clinician at numerous jazz workshops and festivals including the Eau Claire (WI) Jazz Festival and the Myra Jazz Festival in Grand Forks, ND. With the oboe/sax duo BS Project, he co-wrote an original musical program that was sponsored by YourClassicalMPR’s "Class Notes" program during the 2022-23 school year, and he has performed and run masterclasses at numerous K-12 schools across MN, the Upper Midwest, and beyond!
As a student, Brian studied classical saxophone/clarinet at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and jazz saxophone/classical flute at the University of North Texas, where he was a member of the DownBeat award winning UWEC Jazz Ensemble I, the DownBeat award winning UNT Latin Jazz Ensemble, and the Grammy-nominated UNT 1:00 Lab Band. He is also a proud K-12 Alumni of Minneapolis Public Schools, attending Marcy Open School for grades K-8 (go Marlins!) and South High School grades 9-12 (go Tigers!).
When he is not playing, teaching or enjoying live music, Brian enjoys following Minnesota sports (especially Twins baseball), trivia, cycling, camping, and pretty much anything else outdoors!
Brian teaches on TUESDAYS & WEDNESDAYS and has open slots available now!