Jazz musician to play at UW winds festival

Written by Rob Ketcham

Thursday, 19 February 2009 18:14

In conjunction with the University of Wyoming’s 20th annual Rocky Mountain Festival of Winds, nationally renowned jazz trumpeter Ingrid Jensen will be featured tonight at 7:30 in the College of Arts & Sciences auditorium.

The Wyoming Jazz Ensemble, directed by Dr. Scott Turpen, will accompany Jensen.

Originally born and raised in Canada, Jensen received a number of scholarships to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she graduated in 1989. Since then, she has established herself as a leader and soloist in a number of musical genres.

Among her vast amount of experience, Jensen has played with the Grammy-winning Maria Schneider Orchestra, Project O, Nordic Connect and various other New York-based bands. In 2003, she received a second nomination for the Jazz Journalist Association Award in New York and is annually recognized in the top five of the Downbeat magazine critic polls in the Talent Deserving Wider Recognition category.

“If you’re in the scene of jazz music or know anything about jazz music at all, then you know the name Ingrid Jensen,” Turpen said. “She’s one of the great improvisers of our generation.”

On top of her performance with the Wyoming Jazz Ensemble tonight, Jensen will also be presenting a master class this afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center concert hall, where she will address university students and festival participants on topics like improvisation and jazz. Turpen added that it’s customary for guest musicians to briefly play for those in attendance at master classes.

Turpen said he would like to encourage anyone and everyone to attend tonight’s concert, not only because of Jensen’s involvement, but also out of respect to jazz music.

“Jazz is America’s greatest cultural contribution to the arts in the history of man,” he said. “Anyone who is even slightly interested in music will enjoy this show.”

Tickets for the jazz concert can be purchased at the Fine Arts Box Office. The cost is $5 for students and senior citizens and $7 for the general public.

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