NDSU School of Music welcomes jazz bassist Brian Torff as guest performer and adjudicator at the annual High School Invitational Jazz Festival, Feb. 7-8. Additional guests include Larry McWilliams, trumpet, and David Milne, saxophone.
Under the direction of Kyle Mack, associate professor and director of jazz studies, the Jazz Festival will feature more than 15 regional high school jazz ensembles that will work with the guest artists throughout the weekend and participate in a concert on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. in Festival Concert Hall. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for students and seniors.
The concert will be streamed live online at http://new.livestream.com/NDSUPerformingArts/JazzFestival.
Torff is a renowned bassist, composer, author and educator. He is a regularly featured bass soloist performing in jazz festivals throughout the United States. He is the musical director of the Django Reinhardt New York Festival in addition to founding the Fairfield University Summer Jazz Workshop. In 1992, Torff served as co-chairperson of the Music Advisory Board for the National Endowment for the Arts.
Torff has performed with jazz greats such as Stephane Grappelli, Mary Lou Williams and Marian McPartland. The Boston Pops, Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Pittsburgh Symphony have performed his compositions. He wrote a book titled “In Love with Voices: A Jazz Memoir.”
Additional information about the Jazz Festival can be found at www.ndsu.edu/music.
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.