Duke Jazz Ensemble with Jon Faddis, trumpet

Jon Faddis is a complete and consummate musician-- conductor, composer, and educator. As a trumpeter, he possesses a virtually unparalleled range and full command of his instrument, making the practically impossible seem effortless. Time Out New York praises Faddis as "the world's greatest trumpeter ... brash soloistic logic and breathtaking technical acuity," and The Wall Street Journal characterizes Faddis as "a trumpet player of prodigious lyrical force." After joining Lionel Hampton's big band, Faddis worked as lead trumpet for the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra at the Village Vanguard, formed his own quartet, and soon began directing big band orchestras, including the Grammy-winning United Nation Orchestra, the Dizzy Gillespie 70th Birthday Big Band, the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band (1992-2002), and the successor to the CHJB, the Jon Faddis Jazz Orchestra of New York (2003-present). The Chicago Jazz Ensemble, which celebrated its 40th anniversary at Columbia College Chicago, named Faddis as its Artistic Director in autumn 2004. Faddis has also served as guest conductor and featured guest with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. He regularly leads master classes and clinics worldwide, and teaches as a full-time faculty member at the Conservatory of Music, Purchase College-SUNY (where he is Artist-in-Residence, Professor & Director of Jazz Performance) and as a guest lecturer at Columbia College Chicago.