Grammy-Winning Artist Zach Brock Joins ��سԹ� Conservatory</h1> <article> <h1>Grammy-Winning Artist Zach Brock Joins ��سԹ� Conservatory</h1> <p>kviancou — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:52:28 +0000</p> <span>Grammy-Winning Artist Zach Brock Joins ��سԹ� Conservatory</span> <span><span>kviancou</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-06-03T10:52:28-04:00" title="Wednesday, June 3, 2026 - 10:52">Wed, 06/03/2026 - 10:52</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>In fall 2026, violinist and composer <a href="https://www.zachbrock.com">Zach Brock</a> will join the <a href="/conservatory">��سԹ� Conservatory</a> faculty as an associate professor of multi-genre performance and <a href="/improvisation">improvisation</a>.</p><p>Called “the preeminent improvising violinist of his generation” by critics, Brock possesses a background spanning chamber music, orchestral writing, and jazz improvisation. He is a three-time Grammy winner as a longstanding member of the contemporary jazz band Snarky Puppy. His recordings with the group include 2016’s <em>Culcha Vulcha</em>, 2020’s <em>Live at the Royal Albert Hall,</em> 2022’s <em>Empire Central</em>, and 2025’s <em>Somni</em>. Brock was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for his 2022 solo album <em>Dirty Mindz</em>. </p><p>“I am deeply honored to join the esteemed faculty at one of the world's truly great conservatories,” Brock says. “Many of my most admired colleagues are ��سԹ� graduates, and their musicianship and collaborative spirits speak volumes about the institution.”</p><p>“We are very excited to welcome Zach to the faculty,” says Associate Professor of Jazz Studies <a href="/jay-ashby">Jay Ashby</a>. “Zach is recognized globally as one of the premier violinists in the industry, especially in regard to jazz and adjacent styles. That, coupled with his extensive background in traditional orchestral repertoire, contemporary chamber music, electronic music, and various styles of pop music, makes Zach truly unique. Importantly, Zach also readily draws upon his ability to improvise and compose while navigating these different genres, effectively blurring previously existing lines between them.”</p><p>Brock has a long relationship with ��سԹ�, having previously served as a visiting artist several times in the conservatory’s Performance and Improvisation (PI) Program during the last decade. Most recently, this included a 2025 collaboration with students in Performance and Improvisation Ensembles. <br><br>“In each of his mini-residencies, Zach has quickly demonstrated his ability to engage the students, leading them to explore new and different approaches to their instruments and helping them find more profound connections to making music—typically, in musical styles and settings that are well outside their previous musical experiences,” Ashby says.</p><p>Raised in Lexington, Kentucky, Brock trained as a classical violinist at Northwestern University and developed his improvisational voice in Chicago. After relocating to New York, he performed at Carnegie Hall at the invitation of Dave Douglas, toured internationally with Stanley Clarke, and became the first violinist to record for Criss Cross Jazz in the label’s 32-year history. </p><p>Selected for Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program at the Kennedy Center in 2002 and named a Rising Star Violinist by <em>DownBeat</em>, he has since collaborated with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Dave Liebman, Eric Harland, Arun Ramamurthy, Matt Ulery, and many others. His trio record <em>Wonderment</em> appeared on Best of 2019 lists in <em>Downbeat</em> and <em>Jazziz</em>. As a composer, Brock premiered his orchestral suite “What Remains” for violin and string orchestra with the Lexington Chamber Orchestra in May 2026, with orchestration by composer and arranger Jochen Neuffer. </p><p>Prior to coming to ��سԹ�, Brock spent five years as Boyer Artist-in-Residence at Temple University and was on the adjunct faculty of the New School in New York City for over a decade. He is a member of the collective Brock/Lanzetti/Ogawa and regularly appears as a guest artist with the Ahn Trio. Along with his ��سԹ� appointment, Brock will continue to perform with Snarky Puppy and serve as artistic director of the Chamber Music Festival of Lexington. </p><p>“I firmly believe that the sum total of a musician is more than their professional acumen alone,” Brock says. “The truly great musical artists are also imbued with a sense of moral purpose and a vision to uplift humanity. ��سԹ� has made this a cornerstone of its values since its founding. To now have the opportunity to help shape the next generation of multi-genre artists, sending them into the world with both technical excellence and that same expansive sense of purpose, is my calling.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The Snarky Puppy violinist and composer joins the faculty as associate professor of multi-genre performance and improvisation.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-06-03T12:00:00Z">Wed, 06/03/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=464502">Improvisation</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Associate Professor of Multi-Genre Performance and Improvisation Zach Brock</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Shervin Lainez</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>��سԹ� Improv Fest 2023 Celebrates Range of Creative Practices</h1> <p>cstrauss — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 17:03:21 +0000</p> <span>��سԹ� Improv Fest 2023 Celebrates Range of Creative Practices</span> <span><span>cstrauss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-03-02T12:03:21-05:00" title="Thursday, March 2, 2023 - 12:03">Thu, 03/02/2023 - 12:03</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>This year ��سԹ� students have had the opportunity for the first time to declare a minor in a new formalized course of study in improvisation. And from Thursday, March 2 through Saturday, March 4, they will have an immersive experience in the ��سԹ� Improv Fest 2023. All events of the festival are also open to audiences and are free.</p> <p>The festival kicks off on Thursday at noon in the Birenbaum with a panel discussion with faculty and guest artists. <a href="/la-tanya-hall">La Tanya Hall</a>, associate professor of jazz voice, will moderate a discussion about improvised music and improvisation in the creative process with the four guest artists of the festival—flutist and composer <a href="https://www.nicolemitchell.com">Nicole Mitchell</a>; shakuhachi player and composer <a href="https://kojiroumezaki.com">Kojiro Umezaki</a>; multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer <a href="https://www.auroranealand.com">Aurora Nealand ’01</a>; and jazz pianist and composer <a href="https://luisperdomojazz.com">Luis Perdomo</a>—and ��سԹ�’s Visiting Assistant Professor of Baroque Violin <a href="/edwin-huizinga-06">Edwin Huizinga '06</a>.</p> <p>The events that follow over the three days encompass workshops, presentations, and performances that showcase exciting performances with AI-based interactive and immersive sound, group improvisation, jazz, and students in ��سԹ�'s Performance and Improvisation program. </p> <p><a href="/dana-jessen">Dana Jessen</a>, ��سԹ�’s associate professor of contemporary music and improvisation and a key organizer of Improv Fest, shares that the inspiration for the festival “came about as a means to celebrate the many outlets for improvisation on campus, and at the same time, bring together world-renowned artists to interact with our students and community.” Festival co-organizer is <a href="/aurie-hsu">Aurie Hsu '96</a>, associate dean for academic affairs and a professor in <a href="/timara">TIMARA</a>.</p> <p>Jessen continues, “Improvisation is deeply rooted within ��سԹ�'s campus, from official ensembles and courses, to student-led groups and initiatives.”</p> <p>In fact, improvisation has been emphasized at ��سԹ� Conservatory for generations—from early practices in organ, to historical performance, as well as free jazz, fusion, electronic music, and more recently in non-Western idioms explored in ��سԹ�’s Performance and Improvisation (PI) Program. Courses and ensembles in PI provide students with the opportunity to enrich their existing musical vocabularies and skills through practical exploration of many different world musics and improvisation across a range of genres and styles. This study is fundamental to ��سԹ�’s directive to optimally prepare musicians for any number of potential 21st-century career paths.</p> <p>“The festival aligns with ��سԹ�'s new improvisation minor in that it seeks to convey how improvisation can be a thread that connects different areas of music-making,” says Jessen. “The scope of the festival itself in many ways mirrors the many pathways that students could pursue in the minor.”<br> <br> In choosing the guest artists for the festival, Jessen describes, “Improvisation takes many forms and the festival artists represent a range of practices, styles, and traditions. Our events throughout the festival highlight the breadth of their work, as well as the range of offerings on campus. These include Afrofuturism, interactive electronic improvisation, non-western idioms, jazz, historical performance, conducted improvisation, free music, and songwriting.”</p> <p>Each of the four guests will appear in concert during the festival, highlighting an experience for listening audiences.</p> <p>Nealand and Umezaki will collaborate on Thursday, March 2 at 8:30 p.m. in the Birenbaum. Mitchell’s concert on Friday, March 3 at 8:00 p.m., also in the Birenbaum, will involve jazz studies students and faculty performers in performances of her works. Students in ��سԹ�’s PI Program will collaborate with jazz pianist Perdomo on his festival closing concert on Saturday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse.</p> <p>“These performances will highlight the high level of musicianship connected to these practices,” emphasizes Jessen.</p> <p>Additional concerts feature ��سԹ�’s student small jazz ensembles at the weekly Jazz Forum held at the Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse on Friday, March 3 at noon. A Student Showcase performance with OCTaiko, the Silent Film Ensemble, ��سԹ� Creative Music Lab, and ��سԹ� Percussion Group takes place on Saturday, March 4 at Wilder Hall’s Main Theater.</p> <p>Jessen expresses “hope is that the festival will bring our community together and offer inspiration for students to explore the many pathways to improvisation, while the workshops and presentations will offer an entryway for newcomers.”</p> <p><strong>��سԹ� Improv Fest 2023 Event Schedule</strong></p> <p>PANEL DISCUSSION: GUEST ARTISTS AND FACULTY<br> Thursday, March 2, 12:00-1:30 PM<br> Birenbaum Innovation and Performance Space, Hotel at ��سԹ�</p> <p>GUEST MASTER CLASS: JAZZ PIANIST LUIS PERDOMO<br> Thursday, March 2, 4:00-5:00 PM<br> Clonick Hall</p> <p>PRESENTATION: KOJIRO UMEZAKI<br> Thursday, March 2, 4:30-6:00 PM<br> Birenbaum<br> Umezaki presents his work featuring global and hybrid practices in acoustic and electronic music.</p> <p>PRESENTATION: NICOLE MITCHELL<br> Thursday, March 2, 7:00-8:15 PM<br> Stull Recital Hall<br> The music that flutist, composer, bandleader, and educator Nicole Mitchell creates celebrates contemporary African American culture and explores intercultural collaborations. In her presentation, she will discuss Afrofuturism.</p> <p>CONCERT: AURORA NEALAND AND KOJIRO UMEZAKI<br> Thursday, March 2, 8:30 PM<br> Birenbaum </p> <p>PERFORMANCE: JAZZ FORUM<br> Friday, March 3, 12:00 PM<br> Cat and the Cream Coffee House<br> ��سԹ� student jazz ensembles perform.</p> <p>SONGWRITING WORKSHOP: AURORA NEALAND '01<br> Friday, March 3, 3:30-5:30 PM<br> Stull Recital Hall</p> <p>CONCERT: NICOLE MITCHELL<br> Friday, March 3, 8:00 PM<br> Birenbaum</p> <p>ORGAN WORKSHOP: CHRISTA RAKICH ’75<br> Saturday, March 4, 10:30 AM-12:30 PM<br> Finney Chapel<br> “How To Sound Like Messiaen”</p> <p>INFO SESSION: IMPROVISATION MINOR WITH DANA JESSEN<br> Friday, March 4, 12:00-1:00 PM<br> Birenbaum<br> The Improvisation Minor draws upon several departments across the conservatory and college, enabling students to create a pathway that suits their artistic interests.</p> <p>SOUNDPAINTING WORKSHOP: DREW PATTISON ’10<br> Saturday, March 4, 1:30-3:00 PM<br> Central 25<br> Soundpainting is the universal multidisciplinary live composing sign language for musicians, actors, dancers, and visual artists, developed by Walter Thompson. Drew Pattison '10, assistant professor of bassoon, will engage workshop participants in improvisation and group interaction through the conducted Soundpainting language.</p> <p>CONCERT: STUDENT SHOWCASE<br> Saturday, March 4, 4:30-6:30 PM<br> Wilder Hall - Wilder Main Theater</p> <p>CONCERT: PIANIST LUIS PERDOMO WITH OBERLIN PI ENSEMBLE<br> Saturday, March 4, 7:30 PM<br> Cat and the Cream Coffee House</p> <hr> <p><em>��سԹ� Improv Fest 2023 is organized with support from TIMARA, Conservatory Deans Office, Conservatory Professional Development, and the Alumni in Service to ��سԹ� College (ASOC) Fund.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The three-day festival, running March 2-4, presents 13 events; brings guest artists to campus to teach and perform</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-03-02T12:00:00Z">Thu, 03/02/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Cathy Partlow Strauss ’84</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2865">Performance & Improvisation (PI)</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3874">Improvisation</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=32966">Organ</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33031">TIMARA</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=464502">Improvisation</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/dana-jessen" hreflang="und">Dana Jessen</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/aurie-hsu" hreflang="und">Aurie Hsu ’96</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/la-tanya-hall" hreflang="und">La Tanya Hall</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/edwin-huizinga-06" hreflang="und">Edwin Huizinga ’06</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/christa-rakich" hreflang="und">Christa Rakich</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/drew-pattison" hreflang="und">Drew Pattison</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/contemporary-music" hreflang="und">Contemporary Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/jazz-studies" hreflang="und">Jazz Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/keyboard-studies" hreflang="und">Keyboard Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/winds-brass-and-percussion" hreflang="und">Winds, Brass, and Percussion</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/historical-performance" hreflang="und">Historical Performance</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">From top, L-R: Luis Perdomo, Kojiro Umezaki, Aurora Nealand '01, Nicole Mitchell</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of the artists</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>��سԹ� Conservatory Establishes Minor in Improvisation</h1> <p>eburnett — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 20:22:05 +0000</p> <span>��سԹ� Conservatory Establishes Minor in Improvisation</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-01-25T15:22:05-05:00" title="Tuesday, January 25, 2022 - 15:22">Tue, 01/25/2022 - 15:22</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>For jazz musicians and orchestral musicians and every musician in between, the ability to improvise on their instruments can be as vital as reading notes on a page.</p> <p>Beginning in fall 2022, improvisation at ��سԹ� Conservatory will be formalized into a <a href="/improvisation">minor course of study</a> that will be available to them all.</p> <p>The new minor offers students the opportunity to bolster their artistry through the performance of improvised music and through study of practices related to improvisation.</p> <p>“Improvisation can be a thread that connects lots of different areas of music-making,” says <a href="/node/30066">Dana Jessen</a>, associate professor of contemporary music and improvisation and chair of the improv minor. “Improv has always been deeply rooted within the conservatory in myriad forms, be it free jazz and creative music, fusion, historical performance, non-Western idioms, or electronic music.</p> <p>“The minor in improv allows us to recognize and celebrate the musical and creative pathways that our students are already pursuing, while also providing opportunities for students to explore new modes of playing through a range of improvisatory practices and music-making.”</p> <p>In particular, Jessen notes, improvisation provides encouragement and support for the exploration of a wide variety of genres and styles, such as those often studied by the conservatory’s <a href="/news/conservatory-program-emerges-space-between-classical-and-jazz">Performance and Improvisation</a> (PI) ensembles, through which jazz and classical students frequently share the stage.</p> <p>The improv minor does not exist in any one academic department on campus, but instead draws upon the resources of numerous departments across the conservatory as well as the college.</p> <p>Students pursuing the minor must complete 20 credit hours, including a minimum of eight credits in the category of “performance practices” and eight credits in “critical and creative practices.” Among the many available courses in performance practices are Internalizing Rhythms I and II (course catalog title APST 140 and APST 141), Sacred Music Skills (APST 221 and APST 222), ��سԹ� Improvisation and New Music Collective (APST 807), and Silent Film Ensemble (APST 809), and Approaches and Philosophies of Free Music (APST 143), which is taught by Jessen.</p> <p>Courses in critical and creative practices may include Musical Thought: Analysis of World Music (ETHN 302), Intro to Electroacoustic Music (TECH 101), Introduction to Sound Art (TECH 102), Special Topics in Composition (COMP 350), and many other offerings in both the college and conservatory. In addition, students pursuing the minor may complete various other approved courses in the college that focus on improvisation, among them a variety of dance courses.</p> <p>Course selections must include at least two courses taken outside the student’s major area of study. Pursuit of the minor in improvisation culminates in the presentation of a performance, lecture, demonstration, portfolio, or other approved project.</p> <p>“We think a lot about improvisation as an <em>outcome</em>—someone on stage performing—but we don’t want to overlook the <em>process</em> of improvisation,” says Jessen, noting that fluency in improvisation can bolster the work of composers, electroacoustic musicians, and countless others.</p> <p>“The process of improvisation is important for building skills in any kind of music.”</p> <p>In addition to the improv minor, conservatory students are free to pursue minors in any course of study offered in the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as any of a number of <a href="/musical-pathways">interdisciplinary minors and concentrations</a> that draw upon the resources of both the college and conservatory and are available to all students at ��سԹ�.</p> <p>The minor in improvisation aligns with ��سԹ�’s commitment to optimally prepare students for any number of potential 21st-century career paths—a mission described in <a href="/about-oberlin/one-oberlin">One ��سԹ�</a>, a vision for the institution published in 2019 that focuses on enhanced learning outcomes for all students.</p> <p>"We consistently hear from our alumni about the importance of being comfortable improvising in a variety of contexts: on stage, in the studio, in the classroom, and elsewhere," says Peter Swendsen '99, the conservatory's former senior associate dean for academic affairs and professor in the <a href="/node/51641">TIMARA Department</a>.</p> <p>"In fact, it’s one of the skills most often mentioned as being a key component of their lives as professional musicians. We're excited that the new minor will better prepare our current and future students for this reality of the music world by encouraging them to develop a personal voice and practice that includes improvisation."</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Debuting in fall 2022, new course of study available to all conservatory students.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-01-25T12:00:00Z">Tue, 01/25/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erich Burnett</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2865">Performance & Improvisation (PI)</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=464502">Improvisation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33331">Composition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34896">Jazz Composition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34691">Jazz Performance</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/dana-jessen" hreflang="und">Dana Jessen</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/contemporary-music" hreflang="und">Contemporary Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/jazz-studies" hreflang="und">Jazz Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/conducting-and-ensembles" hreflang="und">Conducting and Ensembles</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/historical-performance" hreflang="und">Historical Performance</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">A conservatory improv ensemble performs in ��سԹ�'s Birenbaum Space.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>