UW’s Wyoming Jazz Ensemble to Perform with Guest Artist Ryan Middagh April 20

A dynamic evening of big band music, presented by the University of Wyoming Jazz Studies Program, will feature the Wyoming Jazz Ensemble and the Jazz Lab Big Band Monday, April 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts concert hall.

Tickets are available at www.tix.com/ticket-sales/uwyo/6984/event/1466260, in person or at (307) 766-6666 at the Performing Arts box office, Monday through Friday, noon-6 p.m. and one hour before performances.

The concert features guest artist Ryan Middagh -- a DownBeat award-winning educator, saxophonist, composer and scholar -- who serves as chair of the Department of Jazz and Global Music at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music.

Equally skilled as a soloist, collaborator and band leader, Middagh performs in a wide array of genres and at jazz festivals around the world, including tours and performances on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. While at home, he is a top-call studio musician in Nashville, Tenn., where he also leads the award-winning Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra, a premier large ensemble featuring Music City’s top studio and touring musicians.

Middagh has received numerous commissions as a composer, and his arrangements have been performed by legends, including Victor Wooten, Wycliffe Gordon and Jeff Coffin. Beyond the stage, he is a passionate advocate for jazz education at all levels, including pursuing creative programming and reaching diverse communities through jazz.

Middagh serves as an official artist and clinician for Yamaha Saxophones and D’addario Reeds, contributing to the professional development of young composers through the Jazz Education Network.

The Wyoming Jazz Ensemble is the premier big band at UW, featuring top student musicians performing diverse styles such as swing, fusion and Afro-Cuban jazz. Known for international performances and high-level guest-artist collaborations, the ensemble frequently garners accolades at national jazz festivals.

For more information, call Andrew Wheelock at (307) 721-2179 or email awheeloc@uwyo.edu.