David Liebman is an American saxophonist, flautist and jazz educator. He is known for his innovative lines and use of atonality. He was a frequent collaborator with pianist Richie Beirach.
Michael Zilber is a Canadian composer and musician. Zilber was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He moved to Boston, Massachusetts in his late teens and to New York City in his early twenties. He has performed and/or recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, Dave Liebman, Miroslav Vitous, Bob Berg, Dave Douglas, Rachel Z, and Narada Michael Walden, among many others.
Tom Varner is an American jazz horn player and composer.
James Arthur Beard is an American jazz pianist and keyboardist, composer, arranger and producer who has worked with Wayne Shorter, John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Mike Stern, Dennis Chambers and Bob Berg, among others.
Michael Scott Smith was an American jazz drummer and percussionist. Based in the Washington D.C. - Baltimore area for most of his 40-year career, Smith played with many jazz greats including Dave Liebman, Herbie Hancock, John Abercrombie, Randy Brecker, Tommy Flanagan, Billy Eckstein, Astrud Gilberto, Freddie Hubbard, Herb Ellis, and Milt Jackson.
John D'earth is an American post-bop/hard bop jazz trumpeter born in Framingham, Massachusetts who has appeared on recordings by Dave Matthews and Bruce Hornsby as well as recording a number of CDs on his own. He currently resides in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Mark Nauseef, in Cortland, New York, is a drummer and percussionist who has enjoyed a varied career, ranging from rock music during the 1970s with his time as a member of the Ian Gillan Band and, temporarily with Thin Lizzy when Brian Downey left for a short time, to a wide range of musical styles in more recent times, playing with many notable musicians from all over the world.
Lewis Robert Porter is an American jazz pianist, composer, author, and educator.
Mark Egan is an American jazz bassist and trumpeter known for his membership in the Pat Metheny Group and the Gil Evans Orchestra. He is co-founder of the jazz fusion band, Elements.
Steve Wilson is an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, who is best known in the musical community as a flutist and an alto and soprano saxophonist. He also plays the clarinet and the piccolo. Wilson performs on many different instruments and has performed and recorded on over twenty-five albums. His interests include folk, jazz, classical, world music, and experimental music. Wilson is currently on the faculty of New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. He was elected as an American Champion by the National Flute Association. Wilson has maintained a busy career working as a session musician, and has contributed to many musicians of note both in the recording studios, but as a sideman on tours. Over the years he has participated in engagements with several musical ensembles, as well as his own solo efforts.
John F. Stowell is an American jazz guitarist, composer, author, and lecturer.
Robert Jospé is an American jazz drummer based in Charlottesville, Virginia. His parents were Belgian and had a love of music they passed on to him. Jospé is the band leader and drummer with the band Inner Rhythm, which received positive reviews in the Washington Post.
Stephen Gaboury is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and musical director. In 1988, he created Livewire Production & Recording, a full production digital studio located in Manhattan's Tribeca district. Since 2001, Gaboury has toured internationally with Cyndi Lauper, with whom he received a Grammy nomination for best arrangement in 2004. Gaboury also collaborated on selections in Lauper's Broadway musical, Kinky Boots, which earned thirteen Tony nominations and six wins during its first run in New York City in 2013.
Matthew E. White is an American singer, songwriter, producer and arranger. He has worked as a collaborator, producer, and arranger for acts including Bedouine, Natalie Prass, Cocoon, Foxygen, Justin Vernon, Hiss Golden Messenger, Sharon Van Etten, Ken Vandermark, Steven Bernstein, The Mountain Goats, Dan Croll and Slow Club. As a solo artist he has released two studio albums, Big Inner and Fresh Blood, and two collaboration albums, Gentlewoman, Ruby Man with Flo Morrissey and Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection with Lonnie Holley. White is also the founder and a co-owner of Spacebomb, originally conceived as a record label with a house band, and now a multi-disciplinary music company with a studio and offices in Richmond, Virginia.
Anthony Branker is an American musician and educator of Caribbean descent.
Phil Haynes is an American jazz percussionist and composer.
Chris Jennings is a Canadian jazz double bassist, composer, arranger and educator.
Yvonnick Prené is a French harmonica player and a recording artist.
Andy Middleton is an American tenor and soprano jazz saxophonist. He has recorded with Ralph Towner, Dave Holland, Kenny Wheeler, Renee Rosnes, Jamey Haddad, Joey Calderazzo, and Alan Jones.
Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts is a public non-profit art and design school located in Richmond, Virginia. One of many degree-offering schools at VCU, the School of the Arts comprises 18 bachelor's degree programs and six master's degree programs. Its satellite campus in Doha, Qatar, VCUarts Qatar, offers five bachelor's degrees and one master's degree. It was the first off-site campus to open in Education City by an American university. As stated from Art & Education "The School of the Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCUarts) is among the top schools of art and design in the country, a ranking that is based on graduate programming."
