Whitworth Hosts Grammy-Nominated Saxophonist Ben Wendel for Special One-Night-Only Performance

The Whitworth Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Jared Hall, DMA, assistant professor of music, will perform with Grammy-nominated saxophonist Ben Wendel on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. in Cowles Auditorium. 

Wendel has enjoyed a varied career as a performer, composer and producer. Highlights include tours, performances and/or recordings with artists such as Tigran Hamasyan, Bill Frisell, Terence Blanchard, Snoop Dogg and the artist formerly known as Prince. 

Wendel is a founding member of the Grammy-nominated group Kneebody. As a composer, he has received an ASCAP Jazz Composer Award, received three New Works Grants from Chamber Music America (in 2008, 2011 and 2017), and was awarded the Victor Lynch-Staunton award by the Canada Council for the Arts. 

He has also co-written multiple scores for film, television and animated shorts. He has recorded six solo albums. His music video project The Seasons, inspired by Tchaikovsky’s works of the same name, was released throughout 2015 and included guests such as Joshua Redman, Jeff Ballard, Mark Turner, Julian Lage, Ambrose Akinmusire and more. It was listed as one of the best albums of 2015 by the New York Times. 

A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Wendel is a former teacher of jazz studies at the University of Southern California and the New School in NYC. Educational outreach has been a constant in his career with over 300 master classes at colleges and universities around the world. His online master class series and other educational products have been sold in over 60 countries. Wendel will give a free master class on Friday, Nov. 6, at 5:15 p.m. in the Myhre Recital Hall in Cowles Music Center.

Tickets can be purchased here: https://our.show/wjowendel 

About Whitworth University:

Since 1890, Whitworth University has provided an education worth seeking. Whitworth is a private, residential, Christ-centered liberal arts institution in Spokane, Wash. We carry out our mission to provide an education of mind and heart through rigorous intellectual inquiry guided by Christian scholars committed to excellent teaching and to the integration of faith and learning. 

Recognized as one of the top colleges and universities in the West, Whitworth has an enrollment of about 2,500 students and offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contacts: 

Trisha Coder, associate director of media relations, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu.