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.

Marty Robinson is Director of Jazz Studies and Professor of Trumpet at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. He is widely regarded throughout the Midwest as equally a jazz and classical trumpeter, maintaining a busy schedule that includes solo performances, orchestral performances, big band concerts, brass quintet recitals, and jazz gigs. He leads his own jazz quintet in regional and national performances, and is also active as a jazz pianist and clinician. Robinson had the honor to be the director of the WI State High School Honors Jazz Ensemble in 2016. Learn more about Marty Robinson.

Mark Urness is a versatile bassist, composer, and educator. His diverse performance experience encompasses orchestral, chamber, solo, and jazz playing. He is an associate professor of music at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin and the principal bassist of the Weidner Center Philharmonic Orchestra. His playing on the unaccompanied jazz album, Foreground, was described by Bass World magazine as “completely in command of the instrument and the tunes, rife with good ideas, melodic instinct, and groove.” Recent performances include chamber music broadcasts on Wisconsin Public Radio, concerto performances as guest soloist with the Fox Valley Youth Orchestra, a solo recital at the 2018 ISB convention, and jazz performances with Bill Carrothers, Danilo Perez, Peter Erskine, and Joe Locke. Learn more about Mark Urness.

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.

Owen Brady ’24, an accomplished composer, arranger and saxophonist is a senior in the Bachelor of Musical Arts program at Lawrence where he studies Jazz Performance and Economics. Owen is originally from Barrington, Rhode Island, and is currently studying jazz performance and composition at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam through the Lawrence study abroad program. His compositions feature singable melodies, nuanced harmonies and mature, innovative incorporation of well-developed musical elements. Bear in Mind is Owen’s second big band chart, following the release of Sonder earlier this year.