Tense Radio bringing you amazing new Jazz music and undiscovered talent.

Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music

Welcome to the Class of 2023

The Institute is proud to announce, with UCLA, the selection of the newest class of students in the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA. Congratulations to Art Baden (tenor saxophone), Devin Daniels (alto saxophone), Darynn Dean (vocals), Julien Knowles (trumpet), Emiliano Lasansky (bass), Benjamin Ring (drums), Javier Santiago (piano) and Matthew Stubbs (clarinet). Read the full press announcement here, and scroll down to get to know the Class of 2023.

About the Institute of Jazz Performance

One of the Institute’s earliest goals was to create a unique college-level jazz program where the masters of jazz could pass on their expertise to the next generation of jazz musicians. In September 1995, the Institute of Jazz Performance was launched and the first class of seven students began their intensive training with some of the world’s greatest musicians.

The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance is a tuition-free two-year program that accepts one ensemble of musicians for each class. All of the students receive full scholarships, as well as stipends to cover their monthly living expenses. The students study both individually and as a small group, receiving personal mentoring, ensemble coaching, and lectures on the jazz tradition. They are also encouraged to experiment in expanding jazz in new directions through their compositions and performances. The program is currently in residence at the prestigious UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

The Institute of Jazz Performance students and instructors present a number of major concerts and community outreach programs throughout the United States and overseas. International highlights include performances and teaching engagements at annual International Jazz Day programs in Saint Petersburg, Russia; Havana, Cuba; Melbourne, Sydney and Mt. Gambier, Australia; and the White House; participation in the celebration commemorating the 40th anniversary of the coronation of the King of Thailand, the 1998 Summit of the Americas in Chile before 34 heads of state, the United Nations “Day of Philosophy” event in Paris sponsored by UNESCO, and the Tokyo Jazz Festival. The students also have participated in tours of Argentina, China, Egypt, India, Morocco, Peru, Russia and Vietnam with Institute Chairman Herbie Hancock.

Since the program’s inception, students have studied with Kenny Barron, Jerry Bergonzi, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ron Carter, Hal Crook, Jack DeJohnette, Nnenna Freelon, Herbie Hancock, Barry Harris, Roy Haynes, Jimmy Heath, Dave Holland, Wynton Marsalis, Dick Oatts, Danilo Pérez, Dianne Reeves, John Scofield, Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver and Clark Terry, among many others. Program participants benefit from the world-class learning environment at UCLA, recently named the number 1 public university in the United States for the fifth straight year by U.S. News & World Report.