Jazz

Jazz is an integral part of musical life at the Sunderman Conservatory. Each year, 18 to 22 students are selected via audition for the Jazz Ensemble. The ensemble studies myriad styles of jazz, encompassing swing, Latin, fusion, bop, and the Great American Songbook ... and experiences a vast range of performance and engagement opportunities.

Chris Brubeck Interview— Artist-in-residence — February 2013

Artist-in-Residence Chris Brubeck

Sunderman Conservatory of Music at Gettysburg College describes Grammy-nominated musician and composer Chris Brubeck’s artist-in-residency.
Sunderman Conservatory students performing on stage

Tours and Travel

  • The Jazz Ensemble toured Europe numerous times during the past three decades; in 1993, 1997, 2002, 2008, 2011, and 2015 with performances at the Montreux, Vienné, Jazz a Juan, Istanbul, and North Sea Jazz Festivals as well as presenting concerts in Amsterdam, Paris, Bruges, Heidelberg, Athens, Istanbul, and Venice.
  • The Ensemble has opened for Ray Brown and Phil Woods and performed with such world-renowned soloists as Paquito D’Rivera, the Boston Brass, Denis DiBlasio, Lew Soloff, Graham Breedlove, Lewis Nash, Carmen Bradford, Hector Martignon, and Delfeayo Marsalis. The GCJE is proud to have performed as part of Howard University's 2017 celebration of jazz. The Jazz Ensemble most recently performed as a featured group at the 2017 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival in Rockville, Maryland.

Public Service

  • In 2009, jazz students joined a volunteer effort to help rebuild homes in St. Bernard Parish, LA, spending hands-on time making a difference while taking in the vibrant culture of New Orleans.
  • Jazz ensemble members oftentimes serve as worship leaders in a local church committed to innovative music programming.

The Jazz Ensemble rehearses on Wednesday evenings from 7:30 — 9:30 pm; members also attend regular sectionals.

Students with an interest in jazz can live in The Blue Note House, and/or join The Jazz Appreciation Society - an on-campus, student led organization that sponsors an annual swing dance and works to bring professional jazz artists to Gettysburg to perform. The Jazz Curriculum also includes a jazz combo (Dispatch), private improvisation lessons, and two jazz history courses. See Jazz Course Listing. Students may elect to earn the BA in Music with jazz emphasis