Visiting Artists

Listening to acclaimed vocalist, composer, and arranger Alicia Olatuja, is truly an unforgettable experience. Olatuja gained global recognition for her stunning vocal performance during President Obama’s second inauguration, and has been praised in the New York Times as “a singer with a strong and luscious tone.” Olatuja combines the earthy with the sublime, bringing a grounded relatability to genres as lofty as classical, as venerated as jazz, and as gritty as R&B. Her debut album, Intuition: Songs from the Minds of Women, celebrates female composers.

A dazzling jazz singer-songwriter, producer, and educator known for her sultry voice and unique presence in the Latin American jazz scene, Magos Herrera’s style effortlessly blends contemporary jazz with Ibero-American melodies and rhythms, transcending language barriers. With nine albums and collaborations with renowned producer Javier Limón, she has received accolades and performed at prestigious venues and festivals worldwide. Recognized by Forbes as one of the most creative Mexicans in the world, Herrera has received a Grammy shortlist nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album (Distancia, 2009) and a Berklee College of Music’s Master of Latin Music Award.

Arranger, composer, trumpeter, and educator Jamey Simmons grew up in Wisconsin and knew early on that music was his unique gift. He earned his Bachelor of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and studied under Robert Baca. He earned his Master of Music in Jazz and Contemporary Media at the Eastman School of Music where he studied under jazz composer and arranger Fred Sturm. Jamey is currently Director of Jazz Studies at Middle Tennessee State University where he teaches courses in jazz and directs Jazz Ensemble I. To learn more visit www.jameysimmons.com

Performer of jazz and popular music Matt Pivec received the Doctor of Musical Arts (Saxophone Performance and Literature) and Master of Music (Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media) degrees from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. While at Eastman, he studied with Ramon Ricker. Matt received the Bachelor of Music Education degree with honors from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Currently, Matt is the director of jazz studies at Butler University where leads the Jazz Ensemble and teaches courses in the jazz studies curriculum. Learn more about Matt Pivec.

After 15 years in academia as the Julian & Sidney Carruth Professor of Trumpet and Jazz Studies at Louisiana State University, Brian Shaw continues to enjoy an international performing career as a modern and historical trumpet artist. A native of Southeastern Illinois, Brian attended Eastern Illinois University (B.Mus.), the Eastman School (M.Mus.), and the University of Texas at Austin (DMA). His trumpet teachers include Parker Melvin, Ray Sasaki, and James Thompson. At LSU, Brian has taught applied trumpet and jazz lessons, directs the Jazz Ensemble, and leads courses in jazz arranging, jazz history, and Baroque performance practice. To learn more visit brianshawmusic.com

Bill Carrothers has been a professional pianist for more than 40 years. He has played many venues throughout the U.S. and Europe, and has been a leader on over 30 recordings, all of which have received critical acclaim and Top Ten of the Year accolades in major publications around the globe. Bill has taken part in countless masterclasses and teaching residencies around the world, and has also been an adjunct professor of jazz studies at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin since 2011. Learn more about Bill Carrothers.

Patty Darling directs the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble and also teaches classes in jazz composition, arranging, electronic music and functional jazz piano. Patty completed her Bachelor of Music degree in Composition from the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music in 1985. While pursuing an advanced composition degree at the University of Minnesota, she assisted in the Electronic Music Department. She has over 15 years of experience in the creation, recording and production of original soundtracks for broadcast and corporate multimedia events that have been distributed worldwide. Learn more about Patty Darling.