Carlos Henriquez

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Carlos Henriquez’s musical journey began in the vibrant borough of the Bronx, New York, where he first drew breath in 1979. His affinity for music became evident from an early age as he immersed himself in its world. As the chords of opportunity sounded, he embraced the guitar during his formative years, later embracing the resonant allure of the bass while honing his talents within The Juilliard School’s Music Advancement Program. His path led him to the illustrious halls of LaGuardia High School of Music & Arts and Performing Arts. Here, his passion converged with the LaGuardia Concert Jazz Ensemble, a musical endeavor that would ascend to grand heights. The ensemble’s victory in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Prestigious Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival of 1996 solidified their legacy.

Upon graduating in 1998, Carlos Henriquez embarked on an expedition that transcended borders and genres. An invitation to join the Wynton Marsalis Septet and the esteemed Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra transformed him into a global virtuoso. His resonant bass notes have graced over 25 albums, resonating harmoniously with the talents of luminaries like Chucho Valdes, Paco De Lucia, Tito Puente, and Eddie Palmieri.Henriquez’s melodic tapestry extends far and wide, weaving intricate threads with legends like Danilo Perez, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, and the Marsalis Family. His musical voyage encompasses transcendent collaborations with icons including Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, and Stevie Wonder, as well as contemporary greats like Lenny Kravitz and Marc Anthony.An educator as well as a performer, Carlos has wielded his expertise as a member of the faculty at Northwestern University School of Music since 2008.

His role as music director during Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s momentous cultural exchange with the Cuban Institute of Music in 2010 further underscores his commitment to musical diplomacy and cultural unity.In recent years, Carlos Henriquez has ascended to new pinnacles. His leadership and artistry have radiated in the spotlight, guiding Jazz at Lincoln Center concerts with a dual force of musicianship and vision. A landmark collaboration with Ruben Blades in November 2014 etched a fresh chapter in the orchestra’s history, interweaving salsa, and jazz harmonies into an unforgettable crescendo.The pulse of his creativity resonates through a quartet of groundbreaking projects. “The Bronx Pyramid” stands as a testament to his innovation, released under the Blue Engine label. “Dizzy Con Clave,” released through RodBros, further demonstrates his compositional prowess. A significant milestone was marked with his first Grammy-nominated opus, “The South Bronx Story,” a multifaceted opus that entwines the South Bronx’s social history with his Puerto Rican heritage.As the dawn of September 15th, 2023, approaches, a new masterpiece readies itself for the world’s ears. “A Nuyorican Tale,” meticulously crafted in collaboration with Symphonic Distributions, unveils an urban Latin-jazz odyssey. This musical tapestry tells tales of Puerto Rican and Nuyorican heritage, a melodic testament to the struggles and triumphs within New York City’s vibrant tapestry. Voices rise to recount historical crossroads, from the struggles of San Juan Hill to the heart of The South Bronx, etching their narratives into the very landscape they’ve shaped.Presently, Carlos Henriquez’s resonance as a maestro echoes from the Bass chair of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, a testament to his artistry and enduring contribution to the world of music.

Andy Clausen

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Andy Clausen is a GRAMMY-nominated trombonist, composer, arranger, producer and educator. A sought-after touring and studio musician across genres, Andy has collaborated with a wide range of artists including Fleet Foxes, Aaron Dessner, Joanna Newsom, Feist, Sylvan Esso, Vieux Farka Touré, Celisse, John Zorn, Samora Pinderhughes, Dave Douglas, Haley Heynderickx, Aoife O’Donovan, Silvana Estrada, Caroline Shaw, Theo Bleckmann, Chris Thile, Nico Muhly, and Conrad Tao.

Andy is a founding member of The Westerlies, an acclaimed new music brass chamber ensemble with “a unique reputation for exploring the emotional textures of American music” (DownBeat). From Carnegie Hall to Coachella, The Westerlies navigate a wide array of projects with the precision of a string quartet, the audacity of a rock band, and the charm of a family sing-along, creating music that is “folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous” – NPR.

Andy has also gained stature as a bandleader for creative music with the albums The Wishbone Suite, Shutter Vols. 1 & 2, Few Ill Words: Solo Trombone at The TANK, Vol. 1, and Heart of Tones: Solo Trombone at The TANK, Vol. 2. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, the New York Philharmonic, the Hollywood Bowl, Red Rocks, Coachella, Radio City Music Hall, the Kennedy Center, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, NPR Tiny Desk, Newport Folk Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Newport Classical Festival, FreshGrass, Pitchfork Music Festival, SFJAZZ, and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

In addition to his performance work, Andy is an active composer for film, television, and radio, contributing original music to NBC, MSNBC, Showtime, The Michelle Obama Podcast, PBS, NPR, The New York Times, Blue Chalk Media, the Whitney Museum, and Freedom House.

Andy is a graduate of The Juilliard School, and in 2021 joined the faculty at The New School as an artist-in-residence and professor of trombone and composition. From 2015–2023, Andy served as Artistic Director for Jazz at New York Youth Symphony, collaborating with guest artists including Maria Schneider, Rufus Reid, Matt Wilson, Ingrid Jensen, Ted Nash, Jim McNeely, Sean Jones, and more. Additionally, Andy works with thousands of students each year through The Westerlies’ educational initiatives, and has given masterclasses at Juilliard, Yale, Colburn, Northwestern, Manhattan School of Music, Boston Conservatory, and Michigan State University.

Andy is an endorsing artist of Conn-Selmer/King Trombones, Eventide Effects, and Moog Synthesizers. He lives in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, with his wife Rachel. Aside from music, he enjoys cooking, cycling, walking, travel, and photography.

Stefon Harris

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Stefon Harris is a four-time Grammy-nominated jazz vibraphonist, educator, app developer, and thought leader. He has been heralded as “one of the most important artists in jazz” (Los Angeles Times) and is a recipient of the prestigious Doris Duke Artist Award and the Martin E. Segal Award from Lincoln Center. He has been named Best Mallet Player eight times by the Jazz Journalist Association and Best Vibes Player in DownBeat Magazine’s Critics Poll. Harris currently tours with his Grammy-nominated band, Blackout, and has released eleven albums as a leader. He has also recorded and performed with The Classical Jazz Quartet, Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, Lewis Nash, the SFJAZZ Collective, Joe Henderson, Wynton Marsalis, Milt Jackson, Lionel Hampton, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Hutcherson, Cassandra Wilson, Diana Krall, Max Roach, Chaka Khan, Kurt Elling, Buster Williams, Dianne Reeves, Common, and Pablo Zeigler.

Harris’ band, Stefon Harris & Blackout, is a pioneering force in contemporary jazz. With influential albums like Sonic Creed (named Jazz Album of the Year by WBGO – the world’s #1 jazz station) and Urbanus (Grammy-nominated), Stefon Harris & Blackout showcase a dynamic interplay of intricate arrangements and soulful improvisation, solidifying their status as trailblazers in the modern jazz landscape. Their performances promise an electrifying fusion of tradition and innovation, leaving an indelible mark on audiences and further shaping the evolving narrative of jazz expression. They recently released Sonic Creed II: Life Signs (Motema Music), which is the highly anticipated sequel to their critically acclaimed album, Sonic Creed.

Along with performing, Harris has taught at universities throughout the world, led curriculum development at the Brubeck Institute, served as a part of the jazz faculty at New York University, and formerly served as the Associate Dean and Director of Jazz Arts at Manhattan School of Music. He is currently Artistic Advisor of Jazz Education at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), the Director of the Harmony Lab at Express Newark, and a tenured Associate Professor of Music at Rutgers University – Newark.

In 2013, he founded The Melodic Progression Institute (MPI) and created a revolutionary ear training app called Harmony Cloud which is widely used by musicians across multiple genres.

As a thought leader, Harris leads transformative presentations on corporate leadership and team empowerment for Fortune 100 companies using jazz as a metaphor. His 2012 TED Talk, “There Are No Mistakes on the Bandstand,” has gained nearly 900,000 views. Through these presentations, Harris is committed to the proliferation of empathy through the arts and empowering others with the necessary tools to articulate their authentic voices through music.

Mark Turner

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In a career that spans over two decades and encompasses a broad array of musical ventures, saxophonist Mark Turner has emerged as a towering presence in the jazz community. With a distinctive, personal tone, singular improvisational skills and an innovative, challenging compositional approach, he’s earned a far-reaching reputation as one of jazz’s most original and influential musical forces. Born in 1965 in Ohio and raised in Southern California, Turner grew up surrounded by music. “There always was a lot of R&B, jazz, soul and gospel playing in the house,” he recalls. “This was in the early ’70s, when the whole integration and civil rights thing had begun to go mainstream, and my mother and stepfather were in the first wave of young black professionals and intellectuals who moved to upper-middle-class white neighborhoods. They and their friends were always going out to see live jazz. I was intrigued by that, and I was intrigued by the whole history of jazz music and African-American culture, as well as the music itself. Turner, firmly now part of this jazz tradition/culture, has not only released more than a dozen albums as leader, but he is quite prolific as a sideman as well. He has recorded and toured with musicians as diverse as Jakob Bro, Tom Harrell, Billy Hart, Ed Simon, Enrico Rava, Kurt Rosenwinkel, David Virreles, Ethan Iverson, Baptiste Trotignon and The SFJazz Collective.

Michael Mayo

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Whether Michael Mayo is performing with his band, as a guest, or alone with a looper pedal and a piano, the LA native’s commanding and other worldly vocalese has been gathering critical and commercial acclaim around the globe. Mayo attended the prestigious *Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance* (now the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz), only the third vocalist to be accepted into the 20-year-old program, where he learned from the likes of *Wayne Shorter* and *Herbie Hancock*. Mayo, a veteran international performer, has led his own band to perform at some of the worlds most revered jazz clubs and festivals. As a featured guest, he has recently recorded and performed with *Herbie Hancock, Terri Lynne Carrington, Jacob Collier, Scary Pockets, Lenny Kravitz, Josh Groban,* *Ben Wendel* and *The War and Treaty*.

Signed to Mack Avenue/Artistry Records, Mayo’s debut record “Bones”, produced by Grammy Award-winning producer *Eli Wolf* *(Norah Jones, Al Green, The Roots)* was released in 2021. In 2022, Mayo was named *“International Artist of the Year”* at the *Deutscher Jazzpreis*. Mayo’s highly anticipated sophomore release “Fly” featuring pianist *Shai Maestro*, bassist *Linda Oh*, and drummer *Nate Smith* was released in 2024 on critical acclaim and high praise.

Anna Fortuna

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Based in Brooklyn, Anna Fortuna is a vibraphonist, improviser, and composer whose musical identity was shaped by an upbringing in both Los Angeles and a small town in West Virginia.

Anna’s genre-spanning artistry has led to performances at landmark venues such as the Newport Jazz Festival, The Stone, and the Disney Concert Hall, sharing the stage with artists including Tony Malaby, Francisco Mela, She-e Wu, John Scofield, Trevor Dunn, Katie Webster, Q-Tip, and Simon Hanes.

As a versatile bandleader and collaborator, Anna’s current projects include the quartet Amaranth (co-led with Katie Webster), Simon Hanes’ Tsons of Tsunami, and an upcoming trio album release featuring Francisco Mela and Nick Jozwiak.

Anna is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and The New School.

Sara Gorman

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Sara Gorman is a bassist, educator, and composer originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and currently based in Los Angeles. Growing up on the Peninsula, Gorman has participated in Stanford Jazz Workshops as a student and staff member since 2016, finding many of her mentors and collaborators there over the years. She was also a member of the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars and CASMEC All-State Jazz Band.

Studying under the guidance of Professor Roberto Miranda at UCLA where she is earning her bachelor’s degree in Global Jazz Studies with minors in Ethnomusicology and Visual & Performing Arts Education, she has also studied Ghanaian drumming, Indian Tabla, Balinese Gamelan, and free/collective improvisation.

In her time at UCLA she was honored with a Gluck Klezmer fellowship, and given the opportunity to teach and perform in senior centers and elementary music classes in LAUSD.

With her band Garden Party she has performed at venues such as The Lodge Room, Brick and Mortar, and the Shabang Music Festival. Recording and gigging throughout California, her style is versatile with music rooted in earnest emotion and expression: Jazz, R&B, Soul, Motown, Pop, Rock, Punk, Alternative/Indie, and Free.

Gorman has worked with choreographers composing music for dancers as well as visual artists collaborating on sound art installations and performances.

In her free time she is also a DJ for UCLA Radio with her weekly show Kitchen Sink and spins/mixes vinyl from her collection, largely Funk, Disco, Soul, and World.

She is currently applying to Master’s programs for Music Therapy.

Erion Williams

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Erion Williams is an award-winning saxophonist, educator, composer, and clinician whose career spans over two decades on stages across the world. A proud native of New Orleans, widely regarded as the birthplace of jazz, Erion brings the spirit, soul, and tradition of his hometown to every performance and classroom. Now based in the San Francisco Bay Area, he continues to serve as a bridge between cultural heritage and contemporary musical expression.

Erion is best known for his work as a longtime member of the internationally acclaimed brass ensemble The Soul Rebels, blending New Orleans brass band tradition with elements of jazz, hip-hop, funk, and soul. With The Soul Rebels, he performed over 250 shows annually and appeared on many of the world’s most prestigious stages, including the Newport Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, SXSW, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and prominent Bay Area festivals such as the Monterey Jazz Festival, San Francisco Jazz Festival, and San Jose Jazz Festival.

Through The Soul Rebels, Erion has shared the stage with a wide range of iconic artists across genres, including The Rolling Stones, Nas, Metallica, Green Day, and Katy Perry, as well as world-renowned jazz artists such as Jon Batiste, Terence Blanchard, Trombone Shorty, Robert Glasper, the late Roy Hargrove, Nicholas Payton, Donald Harrison, and Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah.

His high-profile appearances include a recent performance with the World Street Brass Band at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Fan Fests in Mexico, as well as with The Soul Rebels at the Super Bowl LIX Pregame Show, NBA halftime shows, WWE SmackDown, and TED Talk Vancouver. His screen credits include appearances in the films Girls Trip and Seeking Justice, as well as commercials for Sony 360 Audio and WWE WrestleMania, all with The Soul Rebels.

In addition to his ensemble work, Erion’s solo career continues to flourish. He is featured on the soundtrack for the Disney World ride “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure,” recorded alongside Randy Newman and PJ Morton. His soulful sound can also be heard on PJ Morton’s remake of “The Sweetest Thing” by Ms. Lauryn Hill. Erion has been featured as a soloist performing the National Anthem for the New Orleans Pelicans (NBA) and on opening day at The Fairgrounds Race Course (New Orleans).

Alongside his performance career, Erion is a dedicated educator who brings the same energy and authenticity into the classroom. He is a Saxophone Coach with the Stanford Jazz Workshop Giant Steps Big Band (South). He also currently teaches middle school music in the Bay Area and serves as a private instructor and clinician. In New Orleans, he served as woodwind instructor at the Trombone Shorty Academy, where he mentored students in New Orleans brass band traditions, and also taught with The Roots of Music, a nationally recognized marching band program founded by Derrick Tabb of the Grammy Award-winning Rebirth Brass Band.

Erion has led clinics and workshops at renowned events and institutions including the Jazz Education Network Conference (JEN), Banlieues Bleues Festival in Paris, and the Molde Jazz Festival in Norway. His teaching philosophy fuses professional experience with culturally responsive pedagogy, creating a learning environment rooted in creativity, excellence, and cultural pride.

Erion earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Xavier University of Louisiana, where he performed in the university’s symphonic band and jazz ensemble. His time at Xavier deepened his musical foundation in both classical and jazz traditions and cultivated his lifelong commitment to using music as a tool for expression, education, and empowerment.

Deeply rooted in the New Orleans brass band tradition, Erion’s musical journey began with local legends like the Mahogany Brass Band and The Stooges Brass Band, and rose to global acclaim with The Soul Rebels. His firsthand experience in this living tradition fuels his passion for education, and now serves as the foundation for the insights and energy he brings to Stanford Jazz Workshop. Through his teaching, Erion honors the lineage of New Orleans brass while inspiring students to carry it forward with their own voices.

Daria Johnson

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Daria ‘Shani’ Johnson is a celebrated drummer, vocalist, and educator whose vibrant energy and love for music lights up every performance and classroom she steps into. Known for her groove-driven rhythms and heartfelt performances, Daria has toured internationally and shared stages with iconic artists like Esperanza Spalding, John Legend, Erykah Badu, Maria Muldaur, and Ozomatli. Her collaborations with Bay Area greats such as Pamela Rose, Tammy Hall, Kofy Brown, Adam Theis and members of Jazz Mafia have solidified her reputation as one of the region’s most versatile and exciting musicians.

When she’s not performing, Daria is sharing her passion for music with the next generation. She has worked with young musicians at renowned programs like the Stanford Jazz Workshop, SFJazz, California Jazz Conservatory, and Living Jazz’s Jam Camp West, where her warm teaching style makes learning music fun and accessible for all. Whether she’s guiding a budding drummer, coaching a student band, or leading a high-energy jam session, Daria’s enthusiasm and encouragement help kids connect with music in meaningful and inspiring ways.

A Berklee College of Music graduate, Shani’s musical journey began in Los Angeles and continues to evolve through her work as a performer and educator. From starring in Blues Is a Woman to captivating audiences with Catfight!, Tracorum, Jay and The Mayhem and her own Daria Johnson 4, she remains deeply committed to sharing the joy and power of music. Daria believes every student has a unique rhythm waiting to be discovered and loves helping young artists unlock their potential while having a blast along the way!

Dexter Williams

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Dexter Williams is a jazz bassist based in San Francisco. His style is heavily informed by traditional jazz, swing, gypsy jazz, and bebop. He currently plays with a wide array of Bay Area musicians including the Hot Club of San Francisco, a touring jazz band emulating the style of Django Reinhardt. Dexter also works at Stanford University teaching and assisting with their jazz combos.