Monday Night Big Band Directed by Chris Leach

About this event

Christopher Leach is a trombonist, pianist, and educator based in Omaha, Nebraska. Currently on faculty at University of Nebraska Omaha, Chris teaches applied jazz trombone, jazz piano, applied commercial keyboard, and other related courses in the jazz and music industry/technology programs. His degrees include a B.S. from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville where he studied with Brett Stamps, Jim Martin, and acclaimed pianist Peter Martin, and a M.M. from Northern Illinois University, where he studied under Reggie Thomas (Count Basie Orchestra, Essentially Ellington, etc.) and Tom Garling (Former MD for Maynard Ferguson and Chicago-based composer/arranger/trombonist). He is currently a doctoral candidate at UNL (ABD). A sought-after educator throughout the region, Chris keeps a full schedule giving clinics and adjudicating jazz festivals at the high school and college level throughout the Midwest and Great Plains. His students have gone on to pursue degrees at institutions such as The Juilliard School, the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, the New School, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, the University of Northern Colorado, Northern Illinois University, Baylor University, the University of Texas, Austin, and other leading schools.