Jazz Studies
Visit the complete website of the University of Oregon Jazz Program at: jazz.uoregon.edu.
The University of Oregon is home to one of the most exciting new jazz studies programs in the country. Students studying jazz at Oregon receive the opportunities and instruction vital for a complete education in music and for success in all facets of the music business. In the jazz area alone, the School of Music and Dance boasts outstanding performing ensembles that include three big bands, eight to ten jazz combos, a jazz guitar ensemble, and Latin jazz ensemble. Our comprehensive curriculum in jazz includes courses in jazz theory, performance practice (labs I-III), jazz improvisation (I & II), functional jazz piano (I & II), beginning to advanced repertoire study (I-VI), beginning to advanced jazz arranging/composition (I-VI), jazz history, pedagogy, and program planning/development as well as studio instruction.
While University of Oregon jazz faculty and ensembles have garnered numerous honors and awards, the focal point of the Oregon Jazz Studies program continues to be our students and their achievements. Our goal is to create an environment for learning that stimulates, recognizes, and rewards creativity and outstanding achievement in performance, composition, arranging, research, and education. To this end, we are committed to providing our students with the most thorough education available in jazz and opportunities for personal growth and successes in the field that are second to none.
Although the majority of our students are music majors, all of our jazz ensembles and most of our jazz courses are open to music majors and non-majors alike. Regardless of your reason for interest, we invite you to become a part of the School of Music and see why our Jazz Studies Program has emerged as one of the finest in the nation.
Jazz Degree Options
The University of Oregon is in a select group of schools to offer a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Jazz Studies as well as a Doctoral Supporting Area.
Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies
Jazz studies majors receive a balanced musical education combining courses in traditional music and performance studies with a wide variety of course offerings within the jazz area. After completing basic theory, improvisation, and keyboard requirements, students begin studies in jazz arranging and jazz repertoire, and can choose either a performance or composition/arranging emphasis for their final year of studies. Students gain continual performance experience by enrolling in both small and large jazz ensembles during the majority of their course of study, allowing for the practical application of materials being presented concurrently in the classroom.
Master of Music in Jazz Studies
(Instrumental Performance or Composition/Arranging Emphasis)
The University of Oregon Jazz Program offers in-depth study in jazz at the graduate level to students with advanced mastery of jazz performance and/or composition/arranging. Our M.M. in Jazz Studies allows students to chose to emphasize either Instrumental Performance or Composition/Arranging through their course of study. By design, both emphases incorporate college-level pedagogy and program planning.
Doctoral Supporting Area
A supporting area in jazz studies may be selected by doctoral candidates with a strong jazz background. Doctoral students admitted into this secondary area may choose either an instrumental performance or composition/arranging emphasis.
The Oregon Jazz Festival
Once a year, the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance in cooperation with Lane Community College hosts the Oregon Jazz Festival, a festival for junior high, high school, and college ensembles from around the Northwest. Unlike other festivals, the Oregon Jazz Festival is a non-competitive workshop focused on education with clinics and concerts throughout the day featuring the nation's finest jazz educators. Internationally renowned jazz artists round off the festival with evening concerts for festival participants and the public. Past artists have included: Don Braden, James Moody, Maria Schneider, Conrad Herwig, Randy Brecker, Peter Erskine, Rufus Reid, Billy Pierce, Dick Oatts, Jon Faddis, Dave Pietro, John Mosca, and Luis Bonilla.
The UO Chamber Jazz Series
In addition to the musicians appearing at the Oregon Jazz Festival, the School of Music and Dance annually brings in a number of guest artists and ensembles to share their expertise in jazz. The UO Chamber Jazz Series offers students the opportunity to listen to, perform with, exchange ideas, and compose and arrange for some of the leading artists in the field of jazz today. Included in this series is an annual residency by an internationally an acclaimed artist(s). Past artists have included: Rich Perry, Ron Miles, Ben Monder, Danilo Perez, Alan Ferber, and Mark Ferber.
