Michael Shults
The University of Wyoming Jazz Studies Program will present a dynamic double-set performance
by acclaimed saxophonist Michael Shults Thursday, March 26, at 7:30 p.m. in the Buchanan
Center for the Performing Arts recital hall.
This free concert offers a rare opportunity to witness one of the most versatile voices
in modern jazz and classical saxophone today.
The evening is structured in two distinct halves, showcasing Shults’ range alongside
a roster of elite collaborators. Set 1 features a collaboration with pianist Jiwon
Han, highlighting the precision and lyricism of the concert saxophone. Set 2 shifts
gears into high-energy improvisation, featuring a powerhouse jazz rhythm section composed
of Ben Markley on piano, Alejandro Castano on drums and Seth Lewis on bass.
Shults, an assistant professor of saxophone at the University of Memphis, arrives
with a pedigree of national acclaim. Praised by Downbeat Magazine for his “strong,
imaginative” improvisations and described by the Kansas City Star as “authoritative,”
Shults spent a decade as a first-call musician of the Kansas City jazz scene. He remains
an active performer in Memphis and beyond, and has twice appeared as a sideman on
the Jazzweek national radio airplay charts.
A Yamaha and D’Addario performing artist, his career is marked by prestigious accolades,
including being a winner in the Downbeat Student Music Awards and a finalist in the
North American Saxophone Alliance Jazz Artist Competition.
Beyond his solo work, Shults is a respected educator and leader in the saxophone community, serving as the chair of the NASA Jazz Competition Committee and performing as the alto chair of the Coalescent Quartet.
