After graduating from New England Conservatory in 2005, Zaccai Curtis moved to New York City where he’s connected with and regularly performs with artists such as: Donald Harrison, Cindy Blackman Santana, Eddie Palmieri, Brian Lynch, Lakecia Benjamin, Ray Vega, and...
Harvey Diamond has been described as "one of the unsung heroes of the Boston jazz scene since the mid-1960s." In the 1970 he was one of Lennie Tristano's last students, and has frequently accompanied celebrated jazz singer Sheila Jordan and...
Stacy Dillard teaches saxophone and ensembles at the VJC Summer Workshop. Stacy attended college at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. A fortunate encounter with Wynton Marsalis in Dayton, Ohio would turn Dillard's attention to the New York scene. Since...
During her career as a performer and recording artist, Samirah Evans has become known for her dynamic and soulful approach to music, especially jazz and blues. Her musical style is heavily influenced by the sounds of New Orleans, where she was one...
Rob Freeberg moved to Dummerston, VT in 2012, after retiring from his position as Director of Bands at New Rochelle High School, NY, where he taught for 30 years. Many of his former students have pursued careers in music as...
Jazz pianist/composer Ray Gallon has performed, recorded and toured the world with many of the leading artists of jazz, including Ron Carter, Lionel Hampton, Art Farmer, T.S. Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Wycliffe Gordon, Les Paul, Benny...
Julian Gerstin, PhD is a percussionist, composer and ethnomusicologist. At the Vermont Jazz Center, Julian co-leads the Latin Jazz Ensemble with Eugene Uman and the Samba Ensemble with Ron Kelly, and runs a Rhythm Theory course at the Summer Jazz...
Draa Hobbs studied guitar with jazz greats Jimmy Raney, Gene Bertoncini, Peter Leitch and especially Atilla Zoller. Under Atilla's mentorship, Draa appeared in concert with David Amram, Don Friedman, Lee Konitz and many others. Since then he has performed in...
NEA Jazz Master Sheila Jordan directs the VJC vocal jazz program along with Jay Clayton. Raised in Pennsylvania's coal-mining country, Sheila began singing as a child and by her early teens was sitting in at local jazz clubs. Her first...
Saxophonist Ron Kelley is a dedicated teacher, serving as director of the music department at Leland and Gray Union High School from 1994–2017, and at the Vermont Governor’s Institute of the Arts for two decades, where he conducted the all-school...