In February and March, Adjunct Associate Professor of Classical and Jazz Trombone Matthew Niess, D.M.A., traveled with The Smithsonian Masterworks Orchestra and performed in San Francisco, Chicago and Houston with vocalist Kurt Elling and the legendary flutist Hubert Laws. The tour also involved education outreach at several schools including Bonnette Junior High School, Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and University of Illinois at Chicago.
On Feb. 2, Niess directed the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association district jazz ensemble at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania.
On March 1, Niess served as the guest soloist and clinician at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas, performing with the Tyler College Big Bands and giving clinics for more than twenty jazz ensembles.
On March 9 and March 10, Niess performed at The American Trombone Workshop with his group The Capitol Bones and also at Jammin’ Java with the University of North Texas “U-Tubes” directed by Shenandoah University alumnus Nathan Davis ’17 (Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies).
