HEYWARD PAYS TRIBUTE TO ELLINGTON
Academy , he was appointed assistant conductor of the Hallé Orchestra , where he was mentored by Sir Mark Elder , and became Music Director of the Hallé Youth Orchestra . In 2023 , he became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music .
Jonathon is committed to education and community outreach work , as well as to including new music within his imaginative concert programs .
Cyrus Chestnut
Born in 1963 , Chestnut started his musical career at the age of three , and later played piano at the Mount Calvary Star Baptist Church in his hometown of Baltimore , MD . By age nine , he was studying classical music at the Peabody Preparatory Institute in Baltimore . In the fall of 1981 , Cyrus began jazz education in Boston , MA at the Berklee College of Music . In 1985 , he earned a degree in jazz composition and arranging . While at Berklee , Chestnut was awarded the Eubie Blake Fellowship , the Oscar Peterson , Quincy Jones , and Count Basie awards for exceptional performance standards at the college . After Berklee , Cyrus began further honing his craft as a sideman with some of the legendary and leading musicians in the business . Some of these great people include ; Jon Hendricks , Michael Carvin , Donald Harrison , Terence Blanchard , Wynton Marsalis , Branford Marsalis , Delfeayo Marsalis , Freddie Hubbard , Benny Golson , Curtis Fuller , Regina Cater , Chick Corea , Jimmy Heath , James Moody , Joe Williams , Isaac Hayes , Kathleen Battle , Betty Carter and , Dizzy Gillespie just to name a few . His association with Betty Carter , which began in 1991 significantly affected his outlook and approach to music , confirming his already iconoclastic instincts . Carter advised him to “ take chances ” and play things I ’ ve never heard ,” Chestnut says .
As Cyrus was absorbing experiences as a sideman , he was also developing as a leader , recording and playing live around the world . There ’ s a Brighter Day Coming was his first self-released album , followed by The Nutman Speaks ( 1992 ), The Nutman Speaks Again ( 1992 ), and Another Direction ( 1993 ). The records received the prestigious Gold Disk award from Japan ’ s leading jazz publication , Swing Journal .
Cyrus has recorded many records as a leader and sideman . He has records on the Atlantic , Warner Jazz , Telarc , Koch , and the JLP Records . His skills warrant his high tier status in the music industry .
Sean Jones
Music and spirituality have always been intertwined in the artistic vision of trumpeter , bandleader , composer , educator , and activist Sean Jones . Mr . Jones sang and performed as a child with the church choir in his hometown of Warren , OH , and switched from playing the drums to the trumpet at the age of 10 .
Mr . Jones is a musical chameleon , comfortable in any musical setting no matter the role or genre . After a sixmonth stint with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra , Wynton Marsalis offered him a permanent position as lead trumpeter of the ensemble , a post he held from 2004 until 2010 . In 2015 , Mr . Jones was tapped to become a member of the SFJAZZ Collective . During this time , he has managed to keep a core group of talented musicians together under his leadership , forming the foundation for groups that have produced and released eight recordings on Mack Avenue Records . His most recent is the 2017 release Sean Jones : Live from Jazz at the Bistro .
Mr . Jones has been prominently featured in recordings and performances with many major figures in jazz , including Illinois Jacquet , Jimmy Heath , Frank Foster , Nancy Wilson , Dianne Reeves , Gerald Wilson , and Marcus Miller .
Mr . Jones is an internationally recognized educator . He is president of the Jazz Education Network and holds the Richard and Elizabeth Case Chair in Jazz Studies at John Hopkins University ’ s Peabody Institute in Baltimore .
Peabody Jazz Ensemble
Led by renowned trumpeter Sean Jones , Richard and Elizabeth Case Chair of Jazz Studies , the Peabody Jazz Ensemble grounds its students in the remarkable history of jazz , while emphasizing the exploration of all American music . This ensemble course studies and performs a broad range of jazz idioms and encourages community-engaged artistry to develop expressive , flexible , creative , and collaborative musicians who are deeply invested in making an impact with their art .
Cyrus Chestnut |
Sean Jones |
Peabody Jazz Ensemble |
Michael Ciesielski |
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