Northwestern University
Bienen School of Music
Programs of Study
Jazz Studies

| Degrees Available | About the Jazz Studies Program | Jazz Faculty |

Degrees Available

  • Bachelor of Music
  • Master of Music

 

About the Jazz Studies Program

Ideally situated near the jazz capital of Chicago, Northwestern’s Jazz Studies program is opening a new chapter with the recent appointment of Victor L. Goines as director.

Click to listen to performances by NU jazz ensemblesThe jazz studies program currently offers the bachelor of music degree.  In addition to the excellent instruction at the Bienen School of Music, students have ready access to a wide array of challenging coursework in other fields, something that can be found only at a major research university.  Performance opportunities for jazz students include large and small ensembles that are heard regularly throughout the year, as well as performance opportunities in the thriving jazz scene in the greater Chicago area.  Program graduates can be found in a variety of important performance and university settings throughout the United States and abroad.

Well-known as both a jazz educator and artist, Goines’ long list of credentials include current membership in the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra as well as recordings and concerts with many of the jazz and popular music greats of today.  Additionally, he served as artistic director of the Juilliard School’s jazz studies program for seven years, developing curricula for the bachelor’s and master’s degrees and the artist diploma program.

Goines firmly believes that jazz performers must have highest-level technical skills and an in-depth knowledge of the language of jazz and its historical roots.  These elements, he feels, combined with self-understanding, are invaluable in developing artists who are articulate in the idiom and who can contribute to the evolution of this important American art form.

Contact for further information:

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Jazz Studies Faculty

Victor Goines

Professor, Jazz Studies

v-goines@northwestern.edu - 847-491-7228
MMus, Virginia Commonwealth University
Recent Activity

Director of Jazz Studies. Previously served as first artistic director of the Juilliard School's jazz program from 2000 until 2007. Specialist in jazz clarinet and saxophone. Has been a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Wynton Marsalis Septet since 1993. Has collaborated with such artists as Terence Blanchard, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ruth Brown, Ray Charles, Bo Diddley, Bob Dylan, Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Green, Lionel Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, B.B. King, Lenny Kravitz, Branford Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, James moody, Dianne Reeves, Marcus Roberts, Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder. Performed on more than 20 recordings, including the soundtracks for three Ken Burns documentaries and the films Undercover Blues, When Night Falls on Manhattan, and Rosewood. Composed more than 50 original works, including Jazz at Lincoln Center commissions. Also served on the faculties of Florida A&M University, University of New Orleans, Loyola University in New Orleans, and Xavier University of Louisiana. Artist for Conn-Selmer and Vandoren.

Willie Jones III

Lecturer, Jazz Studies

Studied under Albert "Tootie" Heath. Co-founder of jazz band Black Note, which won the 1991 John Coltrane Young Artist Competition. Produced and performed on all four Black Note albums. Semifinalist, 1992 Thelonious Monk Drum Competition. Has performed in ensembles with Milt Jackson, Arturo Sandoval, and Horace Silver.

Carlos Henriquez

Lecturer, Jazz Studies

847-491-7228

Jazz bass. Performed with such artists as Steve Turre, Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Carlos Santana, and George Benson. Former member, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Has recently recorded, toured, and performed with Wynton Marsalis, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Danilo, and Celia Cruz.

 

Christopher Madsen

Christopher Madsen

Lecturer, Jazz Studies

c-madsen@northwestern.edu - 847-491-4772

Administrative Coordinator, jazz studies. Jazz arranging/composition and jazz ensembles. Has performed with and/or wrote for such artists as Wynton Marsalis, Loren Schoenberg, Wycliffe Gordon, Kenny Washington, and Jon Gordon. Saxophone solos and compositions featured on recordings by the Juilliard and DePaul Univeristy Jazz Ensembles. Studied with Mark Colby, Tom Matta, and Dr. Bob Lark. Published composer with Walrus Music Publishing. For more information, visit his personal web site.

Peter Martin

Lecturer, Jazz Studies

847-491-7228

Jazz piano. Accomplished arranger and composer, with works performed by orchestras worldwide. Currently musical director and pianist for Dianne Reeves and a member of Chris Botti's touring band. Performed with such orchestras as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Lyon National Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Sydney Symphony, and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Toured and recorded with such artists as Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman, Christian McBride, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Roy Hargrove, Terence Blanchard, Jazz Futures II, 4-Sight, and Stanley Turrentine. Second-place prize winner at the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. Served on the music faculties of Tulane University, University of New Orleans, and the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts. Artist for Steinway. For more information, visit his personal web site.

Elliot Mason

Elliot Mason

Lecturer, Jazz Studies

847-491-7228

Jazz trombone. Member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Studied with Hal Crook, Tony Lada, Phil Wilson, and Barry Mason. Performed with the Count Basie Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson, Mingus Big Band, Maria Schneider Orchestra, Toshiko Akiyoshi Orchestra, George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band, Willie Nelson, Natalie Cole, Randy Brecker, Joe Zawinul, Hiram Bullock, Marcus Roberts, Slide Hampton, Carl Fontana, and The Temptations. Clinician with the Randy Brecker Quintet and for Taylor Trombones. For more information visit his personal web site.

John Moulder

Lecturer, Jazz Studies

847-491-7228

Jazz guitar. Biographical information to come.

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