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Stephen Anderson

STEPHEN ANDERSON is a critically acclaimed composer and pianist whose music has been published on eighteen compact discs through Summit, Albany, Nagel Heyer Records, and other labels. Four of Anderson’s recordings have appeared on the Grammy® Awards ballots representing Summit Records—Nation Degeneration (53rd), Believe (56th), 360˚ Jazz Initiative, Distracted Society (58th), and The Dominican Jazz Project (59th). The Dominican Jazz Project similarly represented the label at the 17th Annual Latin Grammy® Awards in the categories of “Best New Artist” and “Best Jazz CD.” Both the Stephen Anderson Trio Nation Degeneration and Forget Not CDs received 4½ stars (out of 5) from the All Music Guide, and Forget Not was nominated best jazz “Debut CD” (3rd Annual Village Voice Jazz Critics Poll 2008). Anderson’s work with the Dominican Jazz Project and Marimjazzia Latin jazz ensembles have led him to perform at multiple festivals in the Caribbean, as well as in Central and South America since 2014. Anderson was pianist with the Lynn Seaton Trio (2000-03), the North Texas One O’clock Lab Band (Lab 2000-01), was winner of the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival piano competition (1997), and keyboardist for gold-recording country artist, Kevin Sharp (1996-97).

Anderson is currently a finalist for the 2021 American Prize in Composition in the Orchestra division for his symphonic work, Concerto for Puerto Rico. His works have been performed internationally, including performances at the Festival Internacional Musiquem Lleida! (Coral Shalom and string orchestra, Lleida, Spain), the Festival Internacional de Percusión Tamborimba (Orquesta Filarmónica de Cali, Colombia), the College Band Directors National Association, the International Tuba Euphonium Association, and the Australian Trumpet Guild, in addition to performances by the West Point Military Academy Band, Dallas Chamber Orchestra, Montclair State Wind Symphony, Crested Butte Chamber Orchestra, the MIT Concert Band and other ensembles. Awards include semi-finalist, 2021 American Prize composer competition (orchestral division), two commissions from the Barlow Endowment (2005, 2010), finalist, West Point Jazz Knights Composers Forum competition (2011), Chapman Family Foundation Teaching Award (2014), Junior Faculty Development Award-UNC (2008), United Arts Council of Greater Greensboro, the UNC Research Council, the “Village Pride, Hometown Hero Award” WCHL Chapel Hill Radio (2008), Endeavors magazine features (2013, 2008), and reviews in All About Jazz, Jazz Times, All Music Guide, and PAS.

Dr. Anderson is Professor of Composition and Jazz Studies at the University of North Carolina and serves as Director of Jazz Studies. He holds a D.M.A. degree from the University of North Texas (2005) and served as Assistant Professor of Jazz Piano at Western Illinois University (2003-2005).

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9
Album Review

Dominican Jazz Project: Desde Lejos

Read "Desde Lejos" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki


DJP's primary composer and keyboard player Stephen Anderson has worked to get the DJP back into the studio after their 2016 Dominican Jazz Project (Summit Records) debut received so much critical and popular acclaim. The 2020 pandemic and attendant lockdowns delayed but did not cancel this follow-up, which the band recorded Desde Lejos--"From Afar." Primarily composed by Anderson in his COVID “compositional woodshed" (his term for lockdown) plus two ballads by singer-guitarist Carlos Luis, Desde Lejos remains true ...

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Album Review

Stephen Anderson: Forget Not

Read "Forget Not" reviewed by Jay Deshpande


Pianist Stephen Anderson is an exemplar of the scholar-musician. Although jazz education is an ever-growing field, it's rare to find someone who succeeds in both disciplines, as a player and an academic. Perhaps because jazz is so fundamentally founded on “feel," it leaves less space open for the rational or analytical. But at least some of the tracks on Forget Not, Anderson's first release as a bandleader, would suggest that maybe one can do it all. From ...

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Recording

The Stephen Anderson Trio "Forget Not" on Summit Records

The Stephen Anderson Trio "Forget Not" on Summit Records

Source: Dr. Jazz Operations

As a new artist for Summit Records, The Stephen Anderson “Forget Not" compact disc (released May 2008) has begun to draw international attention and is being aired on jazz radio stations throughout the world. This trio is unique as Anderson's diverse compositional palette has earned him awards and three degrees in classical composition (including the DMA, a Barlow Foundation award, and a United Arts Council of Greater Greensboro award) and his works have been performed by various reputable ensembles across ...

“Can you think of a better close [to the festival] than this? The Dominican Jazz Project is a national pride that delights us today.” —The Dominican Republic Jazz Festival (Sosúa, DR)

“In the area of harmony and rhythm [Anderson] is influenced by jazz. Inspired by the biblical texts of the prophet Isaiah, he speaks in a modern, contemporary language, and at the same time perfectly understandable.” —Lleida Diari (Lleida, Spain)

“The pocket he plays in is precise and intense, whether he imposes alien forms onto his pieces or simply thwarts the expectations of rhythm and harmony…there is no question of the beauty in Anderson’s playing…” —Jay Deshpande, All about Jazz

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Primary Instrument

Piano

Willing to teach

Beginner to advanced

Credentials/Background

Dr. Stephen Anderson, D.M.A. Professor, Composition and Jazz Studies Director of Jazz Studies Department of Music, CB #3320 The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3320 919.537.1358 Cell [email protected] https://music.unc.edu/SummerJazzWorkshop/ http://ArtistStephenAnderson.com (Artist Site) http://DominicanJazzProject.com NEW Desde Lejos CD! Teaching courses in improvisation, jazz arranging, history, piano, and composition

Clinic/Workshop Information

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Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Desde Lejos

Summit Records
2021

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Dominican Jazz Project

Summit Records
2016

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360ᵒ Jazz...

Summit Records
2015

buy

Believe

Summit Records
2013

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Nation Degeneration

Summit Records
2010

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Forget Not

Summit Records
2009

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Un Cambio de Ritmo

From: Desde Lejos
By Stephen Anderson

Tolerance

From: The Stephen Anderson Trio, with...
By Stephen Anderson

Left in a Red State

From: Nation Degeneration
By Stephen Anderson

T'so Political

From: Forget Not
By Stephen Anderson

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