Noted jazz musicians from the Noah Preminger Quartet will present jazz workshops, master classes and a mini-concert at the West Virginia University Creative Arts Center, Monday, Sept. 19.

All of the events are free and open to the public, courtesy of the West Virginia Wine & Jazz Festival Music in the Schools Program.

The Noah Preminger Quartet features Noah Preminger, saxophone; Dan Tepfer, piano; Matt Clohesy, bass; and Matt Wilson, drums.

The quartet will also perform at this year’s Wine & Jazz Festival, to be held Sept. 17-18 at Camp Muffly, near Morgantown.

Brooklyn-based Noah Preminger is one of the fastest-rising tenor saxophonists and composers on the jazz scene today. His latest CD, “Before the Rain” (Palmetto Records, 2011) has received rave reviews in the New York Times, DownBeat, Jazz Times and many other influential publications. Preminger is a constant presence in New York City’s jazz clubs and his international tours have brought his music to audiences in Europe and Australia. Preminger earned his bachelor’s in music at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and his first CD, “Dry Bridge Road” (Nowt Records, 2008) was named the year’s “Best Debut” in the 2008 Village Voice Jazz Critics’ Poll.

New York-based pianist and composer Dan Tepfer has performed the world over in contexts ranging from solo piano to full orchestra. Born in Paris, he began classical piano studies at age 6 at the Paris Conservatoire Paul Dukas. After earning a master’s degree from Boston’s New England Conservatory, he moved to New York and quickly became an in-demand player and composer. His numerous awards include first prize and audience prize at the 2006 Montreux Jazz Festival Solo Piano Competition, first prize at the 2006 East Coast Jazz Festival Competition, and first prize at the 2007 competition of the American Pianists Association. He has lectured and led master classes at the Royal Academy of Music, London, the Seoul Institute of the Arts, and many more.

Australian bassist Matt Clohesy left his hometown of Melbourne for the United States in 2001. Based in New York City, he has since gained much recognition as an acoustic and electric bassist worldwide. Predominantly known as a jazz musician, he can also be heard in various pop, rock, Broadway and film/TV soundtrack settings. Clohesy is regularly involved with Downbeat award-winning composer Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society and can be heard often with the Chris Bergson Band. Prior to moving to New York, he received a Bachelor of Music at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne and worked with various Australian artists, as well as the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

New York-based drummer and Grammy nominee Matt Wilson is universally recognized for his musical and melodic drumming style, as well as his skills as a gifted composer, bandleader, producer, and teaching artist. Recently, Wilson performed at the White House as part of an all-star jazz group for a State Dinner concert. In 2010 he conducted more than 250 outreach programs promoting jazz, including an acclaimed Jazz for Young Peoples concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Wilson has performed with many legends of music and has appeared on 250 CDs as a sideman and released nine as a leader for Palmetto Records, as well as co-leading five additional releases. For five consecutive years, he was voted #1 Rising Star Drummer in the Downbeat Critic’s Poll.

For more information, contact the WVU College of Creative Arts at (304) 293-4359.

-WVU-

WV Wine & Jazz Festival
http://www.wvwineandjazz.com/

Noah Preminger
http://noahpreminger.com/live/

Dan Tepfer
http://www.dantepfer.com/

Matt Wilson
http://www.mattwilsonjazz.com/

Matt Clohesy
http://www.mattclohesy.com/recordings.htm

Interview with Matt Wilson
http://www.mattwilsonjazz.com/press_kit/reviews/1999_all_about_jazz_interview/

CONTACT: Charlene Lattea, College of Creative Arts
304-293-4359, Charlene.Lattea@mail.wvu.edu

Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.