Saxophonist, arranger and composer Denis DiBlasio will headline the 2022 Cameron University Jazz Festival, joining the CU Jazz Ensemble and the Lawton Jazz Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 8, in the University Theatre. The Aggie Jazz Academy, a group of high school students from throughout southwest Oklahoma, will also make a guest appearance.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for senior citizens/military/K-12 students. Admission is free to CU students, faculty and staff with Cameron ID. Please call 580-581-2346 to reserve a seat. Facial coverings are encouraged.
After earning a master’s degree from the University of Miami, Denis DiBlasio joined the big band of legendary trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, serving as the ensemble’s musical director for five years. During that time, he honed his virtuosity on the baritone saxophone and flute as well as a prodigious scat-vocal technique and developed estimable composing and arranging skills. He is currently director of the Jazz Performance and Composition programs at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey and also serves as the executive director of the Maynard Ferguson Institute of Jazz.
An internationally acclaimed performer and educator, DiBlasio is the author of five texts on jazz improvisation and has recorded 12 CDs. He is a YouTube presenter and composer of etude books for flute, clarinet and saxophone.
As a clinician, DiBlasio has taught and performed all over the United States; his "education as entertainment" style has also taken him to Thailand, Italy, Luxemburg, Prague, Canada, Mexico, Spain, France, Switzerland, Denmark and Japan.
DiBlasio’s compositions, articles and arrangements are available through publishers Jamey Aebersold, Belwin, Hal Leonard, Kendor, Doug Beach, Roncorp, Vandoren, Kjos, Northeastern Music, Warner Brothers, Flute Talk and Saxophone Journal.
The 2022 Jazz Festival is made possible by a grant from Cameron University Lectures and Concerts Series.
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PR#22-011
