Join Us for Jazz Day!
Celebrate jazz and Hispanic Heritage Month with music at Shenandoah Conservatory! This year’s Jazz Day features special guest artists from the Gabriel Alegría Afro Peruvian Jazz Sextet. Enjoy performances by the Shenandoah Conservatory Studio Big Band, showcasing selections from Phil Wilson’s “The Wizard of Oz Suite,” as well as appearances by Shenandoah Conservatory jazz faculty. Don’t miss our first fall Pizza Jam—bring your horn and join in, or simply come to hang out!
The $30 registration fee includes lunch, a t-shirt and admission to the Gabriel Alegría Afro Peruvian Jazz Sextet concert at 2:30 p.m. in Armstrong Concert Hall.
Jazz Faculty
Shenandoah Conservatory Faculty
- Dr. Matthew Niess, Director of Jazz & Commercial Music, trombone
- Darryl Brenzel, arranging, jazz saxophone
- Eric Byrd, piano
- Bill Dunn, trumpet
- Craig Fraedrich, trumpet
- Luis Hernandez, jazz saxophone
- Donovan Stokes, jazz bass
- Richard Whitehead, jazz guitar
- Alphonso Young, jazz percussion
Featured Guest Ensemble
Gabriel Alegría Afro-Peruvian Jazz Sextet
The Gabriel Alegría Afro-Peruvian Jazz Sextet insistently inventive program of traditional Afro-Peruvian music transformed by Gabriel Alegría’s highly personal synthesis of folkloric Afro-Peruvian rhythms, jazz, and other musical strains has led to a signature accomplishment: developing the band’s patented blend of deep scholarship and playfulness into a touring experience that conveys a vast knowledge of the music and, perhaps more importantly, transmits black music from coastal Perú as a way of life to its audiences.
Study at SU
Did you know that Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University offers several degree options within its jazz and commercial music program?
- Jazz & Commercial Music Performance
- Music Production & Recording Technology (Jazz Emphasis)
- Music Education (Jazz Emphasis)
- Music Therapy (Jazz Emphasis)
Learn about these degree options at Jazz Day during the registration, coffee and info session beginning at 10:30 a.m. in the Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre lobby!
Schedule of Events
Time (EDT) |
Session |
Location |
| 10:30 a.m. |
Registration with Coffee & BagelsDid you know that Shenandoah University offers several degree options within its jazz and commercial music program? Learn about these degree options during this registration, coffee and info session! |
Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre Lobby |
| 11 a.m. |
Interactive Session*Jazz Warm-ups with Shenandoah Conservatory’s Jazz Faculty |
Ruebush Hall, Room 128 |
| 11:30 a.m. |
Interactive Session*Studio Big Band Performance Featuring Selections from “The Wizard of Oz Suite” with Shenandoah Conservatory Jazz Faculty |
Ruebush Hall, Room 128 |
| 12:15 p.m. | Lunch Break (provided) | |
| 1 p.m. |
Interactive Session*“Improvising in 12/8: Jazz Standards over Afro-Peruvian Grooves” Workshop with Gabriel Alegría Afro-Peruvian Jazz Sextet |
Armstrong Concert Hall |
| 2 p.m. | Facilities Tour | Various Locations |
| 2:30 p.mm. | Gabriel Alegría Afro-Peruvian Jazz Sextet Concert | Armstrong Concert Hall |
| 4 p.m. |
Interactive Session*Jam Session |
Brandt Student Center |
*This session is interactive; participants may have the option to play their instrument or observe.
Note: Schedule subject to change
Financial Assistance
The $30 registration fee includes lunch, a t-shirt and admission to the Gabriel Alegría Afro Peruvian Jazz Sextet concert at 2:30 p.m.
Shenandoah Conservatory believes the arts are for everyone. Like all nonprofit arts organizations and higher education institutions, we strive to maintain our stewardship of limited resources and balanced budgets while intentionally removing barriers to participation and belonging. Full and partial scholarships are available to those who require financial assistance.
See the Jazz Day Registration Form for more information about the registration fee and financial assistance.
Contact Us
Dr. Matthew Niess
Director of Jazz & Commercial Music
Associate Professor of Trombone
Shenandoah Conservatory
mniess@xgcr.net
