Learn from Great Jazz Improvisation Teachers

Carl Kennedy is a Chicago-based pianist and composer who has built a diverse musical career crossing between jazz, soul, fusion, folk and classical traditions. Drawing from his well-rounded skill set, Carl is sought-after for his emotionally expressive playing and original compositions. He has played venues all over the country including the John F.

I am a multi-instrumentalist, performer, and music educator with over 20 years of teaching and performing experience. My formal education began as a pianist at the School of Music in Kostroma. I continued at the College of Music, specializing in clarinet and saxophone, and later advanced to the Nizhny Novgorod State Conservatory in Russia, where I completed studies in performance…

I am a musician from New York City offering lessons in jazz saxophone and acousitc rock guitar. I attended Manhattan School of Music for three years and graduated from The New School for Jazz and Improvised Music in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in jazz baritone saxophone. I've had many great saxophone teachers who gave me the tools to develop my own voice on the instrument.

My name is Tristan Norton and I have been a guitarist, bassist, gigging, composing, and teaching musician in Northern California for 13 years. I am a graduate of Berkeley’s prestigious California Jazz Conservatory with a Bachelor’s of Music in Jazz Studies.

Olga Shishkina is an internationally active gusli artist and educator, pianist, organist and composer with over 20 years of professional experience. She has performed in the USA, Japan and Europe and gave solo concerts in California, Paris on some of the world's best venues.

I've been playing the guitar for over 40 years and have experience in teaching school age students as well as adults. In addition to this I play and teach Native American Style Flute and Didgeridoo. I also have experience working with those with special needs. Over time I have learned various styles and techniques for guitar, it is my main instrument.

Bassist and composer Wenjun Wu is well-versed in various strains of music, including jazz, improvised music, hip-hop, and pop music. He is based in Boston, MA. Wenjun pursued a Masters’ Degree from Berklee College’s Global Jazz Institute with a full-tuition scholarship. Study with Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, and Terri Lyne Carrington.

Dr. Bohdan Syroyid is a composer, pianist, and educator serving as a Professor of Music Education at the University of Salamanca. Known for a compositional style that bridges the gap between eras, his work often involves "giving sound to paintings", reimagining classical repertoire within contemporary frameworks, and reviving Ukrainian and Spanish folk music.

Gina Benalcázar López is an Ecuadorian-Honduran-American composer and low brass specialist. Influenced by straight-ahead jazz, latin-jazz, and popular Latin American music, Gina has performed with and arranged/composed for various size bands ranging in style from Classical Chamber to Jazz Big Band and Salsa Bands.

Rafael Naine is a professional guitarist, composer, and music educator from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He holds a degree in Performance from Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA), graduating Summa Cum Laude. With a diverse and active career, Rafael has performed as a sideman for various singers on TV shows and radio programs across Brazil.