International Jazz Star and Grammy-Nominated Saxophonist Melissa Aldana to Perform with Whitworth Jazz Ensemble
Melissa Aldana, international jazz star and Grammy-nominated saxophonist, will join the award-winning Whitworth Jazz Ensemble, directed by Jared Hall, on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 7:30 p.m. inside Cowles Auditorium for a one-night-only performance.
General admission is $20; students/seniors are $10. Concert tickets may be purchased here.
Aldana will also lead a free jazz clinic at the university on Nov. 3 at 5:30 p.m. Each elementary, middle school and high school student in attendance will receive one free ticket to Saturday’s Whitworth jazz concert featuring Aldana. Note: Students should not bring their instruments to the clinic.
Aldana was born in Santiago, Chile. She was discovered by pianist Danilo Perez while still a teenager. She debuted with Free Fall in 2010. She then earned wider acclaim winning the 2013 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition. She has recorded with Terri Lyne Carrington and Cecile McLorin Salvant. She recorded her own albums including 2014’s Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio and 2016’s Back Home. Aldana earned her first Grammy nomination for 2019’s Visions and made her Blue Note debut with her 2022 quintet album 12 Stars.
About the Whitworth Jazz Ensemble:
The 18-piece Whitworth Jazz Ensemble performs several concerts each year on campus and offers performances at jazz festivals, public schools and civic events and on annual tours throughout the U.S. The ensemble has traveled to Rome on seven occasions for performances with leading Italian jazz artists. Other performance residencies have included trips to Cuba, Germany, Brazil, New York City, New Orleans, Hawaii and Australia. Over the past decade, the ensemble has performed in standing-room-only concerts with guest artists like Chris Potter, Joshua Redman and Arturo Sandoval.
About Whitworth University:
Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Contacts:
Trisha Coder, media relations manager, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu.
