Success Stories

At the Nobel festivities in 1993, Swedish-born soprano saxophonist and composer Anders Paulsson (MM ‘86) performed for Nelson Mandela when he received the Nobel Peace Prize; Anders consequently composed the 22-minute-long Celebration Suite to celebrate 20 years of democracy in South Africa. The composition, which had its world premiere in 2013, was a commission for the MIAGI (Music is a Great Investment) Orchestra, a non-profit educational youth orchestra based in South Africa, where Anders was Composer-in-Residence.

This past summer, MIAGI performed Celebration Suite to mark the 30-year anniversary of democracy in South Africa, in a series of concerts in Germany with Anders Paulsson featured on solo soprano saxophone. The concerts took place at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and the Konzerthaus Berlin, with Chevonne Plaatjies conducting.

Click here to learn more about Anders.
Click here to learn more about the MIAGI Orchestra.

Alumna jazz trumpeter Kellin Hanas (BM ’24) performed at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton, Wisconsin with the Carnegie Hall Ensemble as part of Michael Feinstein’s performance on Oct. 17.

The concert honored the history of big band and jazz music, Carnegie Hall, and the legacy of Tony Bennett, with a performance of Bennett’s iconic songs interpreted by Feinstein and the Carnegie Hall Ensemble.

In photo above: After the concert, Kellin met with MSM President James Gandre and another alumna, Nadje Noordhuis—who was recently appointed to the faculty at Lawrence University in Appleton— along with members of her trumpet studio.

Kellin Hanas was the student speaker at MSM Commencement 2024.

Read our interview with Kellin Hanas here.

Jazz trumpeter and rising star, MSM alumnus Jonathan Dely (MM ‘17) recently completed a feature tour in the American northwest where he headlined Alberta Bair Theater in Billings, Montana and The Argyros in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Jonathan formed his band while a student at Manhattan School of Music; his recent credits include performing at Lincoln Center, SFJAZZ, and having starring role in the 2023 film Goodbye Jonathan’s Soul directed by legendary filmmaker Bob Giraldi who captured the story that has animated Dely’s career: turning down a lucrative career on Wall Street to become a musical artist.

Learn more about Jonathan Dely here.

Jazz trumpeter and MSM alumna Nadje Noordhuis (MM ’05) has been appointed Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, a tenure-track position. She regularly tours with the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Anat Cohen Tentet, and Matt Wilson’s Honey and Salt, among other acclaimed ensembles.

Prior to her appointment at Lawrence University, Noordhuis taught at Manhattan School of Music Precollege, along with Hunter College, Berklee College of Music, and Sydney Conservatorium. She also manages both the Laurie Frink Career Grant and the Laurie Frink Brass Summit, whose namesake mentored Noordhuis as a student at MSM and into her career.

Learn more about Nadje here.

MSM Jazz voice alumna Motswedi Modiba (MM ’24) is performing with Academy Award- and Grammy-winning composer Hans Zimmer during his Hans Zimmer Live tour across the United States and Canada in September and October 2024.

Motswedi is part of this 20-stop tour, which features works from Zimmer’s most well-known scores, including Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Dark Knight, Interstellar, The Lion King, The Last Samurai, Dune, and more!

While at MSM, Motswedi studied with Jean Baylor and was a Hugh Masekela Scholar.

More about the tour here.

MSM Jazz Arts alumna, singer Courtney Cutchins (MM ’16), will release her album Grunge to Grace (Laseryn Music, 2024) on October 18. The album’s concept is a meld of Cutchins’s own compositions with reimagined ’90s Grunge classics by Soundgarden and Nirvana.

Cutchins’s distinctive aesthetical through-line is backed by elite rising Jazz stars: pianist-producer David Cook, guitarist Nir Felder, bassist Matt Clohesy, and new MSM Jazz Arts Faculty member and alumnus, drummer Obed Calvaire (BM ’03, MM ’05)

To learn more about the album, click here.

Rising star jazz vocalist Julia Keefe (MM ’19) will perform at the 2024 Monterey Jazz Festival on September 29th with her Julia Keefe Indigenous Ensemble. Last month, she and her Quartet performed selections from her Mildred Bailey Project at SFJAZZ’s Joe Henderson Lab as a part of SFJAZZ’s Indigenous Songbook series, paying tribute to this fellow female jazz vocalist with Indigenous ancestry who was an early legend of the genre.

Keefe is a member of the Nez Perce Tribe and grew up on her Tribe’s reservation in Kamiah, Idaho before moving to Spokane, Washington, where she began learning Jazz. In her junior high library, happening upon Mildred Bailey and Bailey’s own Native ancestry was a defining moment for Keene, calling Bailey “her North Star.” In addition to her Mildred Bailey Project, Keefe leads the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band (her Ensemble is a nonet version of this project), which will perform at Stanford University’s Bing Concert Hall in February.

Read the San Francisco Classical Voice article here.

Learn more about Julia here.

The former New York Yankees star helped win four World Series for the franchise and graduated from MSM in 2016 with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Arts. He is currently an MSM Trustee.

On September 20, Bernie Williams will perform at the 2024 Savannah Jazz Festival. Earlier this year, he made his debut performance with the New York Philharmonic, under the direction of Conductor Gustavo Dudamel, at the Philharmonic’s spring gala at Lincoln Center.

Williams’s Moving Forward was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Album in 2009.

Learn more here.

Kellin Hanas (BM ’24) was the student speaker at MSM Commencement 2024, and placed first on June 1 in the International Trumpet Guild Ryan Anthony Memorial Trumpet Competition: Jazz Division.

At MSM, Kellin took on several student leadership roles, and she is also the leader of her own band, the Kellin Hanas Quintet, which debuted in 2022 at the iconic Birdland Jazz Club in NYC.

Kellin spoke with us a few days before graduating in this blog post.

The DIVA Jazz Orchestra performed at Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center in late March that featured MSM student Kellin Hanas (BM ’24) trumpet, who studies and MSM with Dean of Jazz Arts Ingrid Jensen, along with alumni Pureum Jin (MM ’17), alto saxophone, and Barbara Laronga (MM ’02), trumpet.

In the photo above, MSM President James Gandre poses with the three after the performance.

Read our interview with Kellin Hanas here.

Learn more about the DIVA Jazz Orchestra here.

MSM alumnus Ambrose Akinmusire (BM ’05) has been named Best Trumpeter by DownBeat for eight years in a row and the venerable magazine — along with respected general news publications including The Guardian, The Irish Times, and the Wall Street Journal — is giving high critical praise to his latest album Owl Song.

DownBeat gives Owl Song a five-star review describing it as “a quiet rush of gorgeous sound where space, tone and beauty come together in one of the most impactful albums of 2023… This is one of the most interesting recordings to come along in a very long time by one of the most interesting artists of our time.”

Read the full DownBeat review here.

The University of Arkansas has been awarded a $45,000 research grant from the National Endowment for the Arts that will support researchers Jake Hertzog (MM’ 16) (in photo on left) and Justin R. Hunter in the Department of Music.

They are examining the importance of collegiate jazz programs to the jazz ecosystems in three U.S. cities — Kansas City, Missouri; Portland, Oregon; and Atlanta, Georgia.

Each of these cities represents areas that have varied and expansive jazz scenes and music ecosystems beyond collegiate jazz programs that act as sources, anchors and hubs.

“We are thrilled to receive support from the NEA on this project — right now is a pivotal time for higher education, the music industry and the evolving and important work on musical and cultural placemaking,” Hertzog says.

Learn more here.

The former New York Yankees star helped win four World Series for the franchise and graduated from MSM in 2016 with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Arts. He is also a MSM trustee.

Bernie Williams (BM ’16) will be making his debut performing with the New York Philharmonic on April 24 at the Philharmonic’s spring gala at the Lincoln Center. A classically trained guitarist, he’ll perform in the orchestra under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel.

Learn more here.

MSM Jazz Arts alumnus Jahari Stampley of Chicago has been named first place winner of the 2023 Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz International Piano Competition.

Four of eight semi-finalists in the competition are MSM Jazz Arts alumni and a current student: Alan Bartuš (MM ’25) of Lučenec, Slovakia; Esteban Castro (PC ’17) of Hackensack, New Jersey; Dabin Ryu (MM ’20) of Seoul, South Korea; and Jenny Xu (MM ’19) of Surrey and Vancouver, British Columbia.

Jahari stands next to Herbie Hancock in the photo above.

The competition held by the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, the world’s preeminent jazz education organization, in association with the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PACNYC), awarded major scholarships and prizes including a $50,000 first place award.

World-renowned pianists Bill Charlap, Orrin Evans, Herbie Hancock, Hiromi and Danilo Pérez served as the Competition judges.

Read more here.

MSM Jazz Arts alumnus the Grammy-nominated Jimmy Greene (DMA ’18) has been named to a full professor position at Western Connecticut State University.

A native of Connecticut, Greene is considered one of the most respected saxophonists of his generation. Greene and his groups perform regularly in jazz venues, festivals and clubs worldwide. In addition to his recordings and appearances as a leader, Greene appears on over 75 albums as a sideman, and has toured and/or recorded with Horace Silver, Ron Carter, Tom Harrell, Freddie Hubbard, and Harry Connick, Jr., among many others.

Learn more about Jimmy Greene here.

Ambrose Akinmusire (BM ’05), who studied Jazz Trumpet at MSM with Laurie Frink, has been named the Artistic Director of UCLA’s prestigious Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance in residence at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. He is a 2007 graduate of the program.

In 2007, Akinmusire won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition and the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition, two of the most prestigious jazz competitions in the world.

The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance is a tuition-free two-year program that accepts one ensemble of musicians for each class.

Learn more about the program here.

Jazz pianist, composer, and educator Donald Vega (MM ’07) has been named a 2023 Guggenheim Fellow. Guggenheim Fellowships are awarded to who have artists who have “demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts.”

Donald Vega was trained classically in piano in his native Nicaragua. He emigrated to the United States at age 14. He currently performs internationally as the pianist for world renowned bassist Ron Carter’s (also a MSM alumnus) Golden Striker Trio with whom he has recorded several albums.

Mr. Vega is also a professor at The Juilliard School and Hofstra University and sits on the board of BackCountry Jazz, a non-profit organization which provides music education programs and performances to underprivileged youth.

U.S. President Joe Biden says he would nominate trusted confidante and long-time economic adviser Jared Bernstein (BM’ 78) to head the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA). Jared Bernstein, 68, is one of three senior economists on the council and has worked in Democratic administrations for decades.

Jared Bernstein studied double bass at MSM with Orin O’Brien. He played in jazz bands and worked as a social worker in New York City before getting a doctorate. He served in former President Bill Clinton‘s Labor Department and then as Biden’s chief economist when Biden was vice president.

Read our Q&A with Jared here.
Read the news story about the nomination here.

The New York Times writes about pianist and composer Jason Moran‘s (BM ’97) new album From the Dancehall to the Battlefield that “puts the music of James Reese Europe through a contemporary prism,” says journalist Seth Colter Walls.

Jazz pianist, composer, and band leader James Reese Europe was active in the 1910s, took part in the first world war, and returned to the New York music scene in 1919 before being murdered by a disgruntled band member that year.

The new recording “rewinds jazz’s history a bit and brings Europe’s sound into a relationship with successive waves of jazz and contemporary music,” writes Seth Colter Walls.

Read the article here.
Find out more about the album here.

Congratulations to MSM faculty and alumni who won 2022 GRAMMY Awards for classical, jazz, and composing/arranging!

The awards were presented on April 3, 2022 in Las Vegas. Winners include MSM alumni Anthony Roth Costanzo (MM ’08) (in photo on left) and J’Nai Bridges (BM ’09) soloists in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Philip Glass’ Ahknaten which won Best Opera Recording.

View the full list of winners here.

View all MSM faculty and alumni nominated for the 2022 awards here.

The GRAMMY Awards take place on Sunday, April 1, with more than 30 MSM alumni and faculty members nominated, including MSM trustees Terence Blanchard (HonDMA ’19) and Anthony Roth Costanzo (MM ’08), as well as J’nai Bridges (BM ’09), and faculty member, Miguel Zenón.

Read the full list of MSM community nominees here.

Ally Alchrecht (MM ’17) Jazz Trumpet is the newest trumpet instrumentalist with the Commodores Jazz Ensemble, part of the United States Navy Band.

Previously she was a member of the United States Air Force Band of the Golden West. Highlights with the USAFB  include performing as a soloist at the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Phil, on ESPN live for Monday Night Football, and at the Monterey Jazz Festival.

Ally graduated with her Master’s Degree in Jazz trumpet from Manhattan School of Music in 2017 where she studied with Tony Kadleck.

Learn more about Ally here.

As part of this Advancing Indigenous Performance (AIP) initiative, Julia and three other artists will each receive over the next three years direct financial and travel support, mentoring and coaching, professional development opportunities, and promotional benefits valued at $40,000.

AIP was established in 2018 by the Western Arts Alliance with generous lead support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and additional funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Awardees are selected by a panel of Indigenous performing arts professionals from across the country.

Learn more here.

Jazz Road, South Arts‘ national initiative supporting jazz artists, has announced its largest investment in the field to date: Jazz Road Creative Residencies. Fifty-two artists are receiving grants of up to $40,000 each, allowing them the opportunity to further explore their art form. Among the grant recipients are six MSM alumni:  pianist John Escreet (MM ’08), saxophonist and composer Felipe Salles (DMA ’05), trumpeter Adam O’Farrill (BM ’16), pianist Fabian Almazan (BM ’06, MM ’09), pianist and composer Jason Moran (BM ’97), and vocalist Julia Keefe (MM ’19).

Projects supported through Jazz Road Creative Residencies range from the creation of new works to community-driven collaborative events.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, South Arts is a nonprofit regional arts organization empowering artists, organizations, and communities, and increasing access to arts and culture.

Learn more about the grants here.
Learn more about South Arts here.

9 Horses is an improvising chamber ensemble featuring MSM alum, faculty member, and 2018 GRAMMY nominee Sara Caswell (MM ’06) (Esperanza Spalding) on violin, Joe Brent (formerly of Regina Spektor’s band) on acoustic and electric mandolin, and Andrew Ryan (Kaia Kater) on bass.

Their latest recording Omegah will be released on August 7 on Adhyâropa Records, a double album that Sara Caswell describes as reflecting 9 Horses’s natural progression. “This record is the culmination of years of experimenting with band members, musical timbres, colors and styles. In a way, it portrays our group’s entire odyssey.”

Purchase the album on Basecamp here.
Watch a song from the the new album by 9 Horses here.

The respected Bass Magazine announces the release on August 6 of Ali’s latest CD I Want To Sing My Heart Out In Praise of Life . The compositions on the album are inspired by the work of legendary avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama.

At MSM, Ali studied with renowned jazz bassist Ron Carter. She will be celebrating the album release at Minton’s in New York City on August 6 at 7 PM and 9 PM.

The recording project is generously funded by a grant from the New York Foundation Arts 2020 Women’s Fund.

Read the Bass Magazine article here.

Taking its name from Greek mythology, Dahveed Behroozi‘s new album Echos released this month on the indie label Sunnyside was recorded with his NYC-based trio featuring bassist Thomas Morgan and veteran drummer Billy Mintz.

The trio performs original compositions by Behroozi that draw on his love of Bach, Brahms, and Irving Berlin.

“Spacious, austere and quietly conversational until it suddenly surges with tidal force, the music makes for edge-of-the-seat listening,” writes the San Francisco-based Mercury News.

Read more and watch a promo video of the album here.

Classically-trained Dabin Ryu (MM ’20) is an award-winning pianist from Seoul, South Korea, who has been playing piano since the age of 3. She wrote, produced, and arranged all of the 10 songs on her debut album “Wall” released on June 1, 2021.

“The entire album is marked by Ryu’s passionate and thoughtful approach to music-making,” writes Dodie Miller-Gould in Lemonwire in a review of the album which can be found here.

Dabin’s website describes the compositions as “(they) settle within the jazz tradition, yet refuse the conventional instrumentations of a traditional jazz album. In this album, she captures the traces her life-long practice of music have left on her.”

Listen to and purchase “Wall” here.

MSM alumnus David Zhen (MM’20, Jazz Piano) gives an extensive interview to the influential online publication Voyage LA, where he speaks about his decision to take a two-year break from medical school to attend his “childhood dream school” of Manhattan School of Music where he studied with McArthur Genius Miguel Zenon, Damien Sneed, and Kendrick Scott.

During his studies at MSM he was signed by Ropeadope Records in 2020 to release his debut album as a producer and keyboardist, called Loading… 

He has been featured recently on NPR’s Livesessions, as well as in a feature article in the online news site Newstrails.

David is currently continuing his medical training as both a neurologist and psychiatrist.

Read the “Rising Star” profile in Voyage LA magazine here.
Hear and buy Loading… here.