Ron Wilkins Javier Arau

Teaches at New York Jazz Academy

Ron Wilkins 
New York City based musician Ron Wilkins has been performing on tenor and bass trombones, euphonium, tuba, bass trumpet and vocals for over forty years. He has performed at the highest levels touring around the world with his own groups as well as premiere artists. 

Ron’s uncanny musicianship has led him to perform in many diverse musical genres. He has performed with artists such as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Rosemary Clooney, Lena Horne, Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, Dizzy Gilespie, The Temptations, Johnny Mathis, Jimmy Heath, Jon Faddis, Eddie Daniels, Randy Brecker, Wycliffe Gordon, and groups such as The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Arturo O’ Farrill and his Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, The Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band and Small Group, Chris Potter Big Band, Ed Palermo Big Band, Jimmy Heath Big Band, Affinity Brass Quintet, Uptown Brass Quintet, Livio Almeida Brazilian Dectet, Memo Acevedo’s Building Bridges Band, San Antonio Brass, Capitol of Texas Brass Quintet, San Antonio Symphony and Festival Orchestra, Austin Symphony and Austin Pops, Mid-Texas Symphony, Victoria Symphony, Temple Symphony, and the Flint Symphony where he was twice guest artist for their summer pops concert series.  

Javier Arau 
Javier Arau is an internationally acclaimed saxophonist, composer, and educator. The front cover artist on the July 2009 issue Saxophone Journal, he has received four Down Beat Magazine Awards for performance, composition, and arranging, and has received national awards and recognition from ASCAP, BMI, and MENC, among others. An active composer in New York City, his compositions have been played by Benny Golson, David Garibaldi, the Berkeley Symphony (Kent Nagano, dir.), and many more. Was a finalist for the BMI Charlie Parker Composition Prize and the IAJE/ASCAP Gil Evans Fellowship. Javier studied composition with Bob Brookmeyer and theory with George Russell. An innovator in the field of jazz education, Javier’s research and development has been recognized by leading music institutions worldwide. He has taught at New England Conservatory of Music and Lawrence University and is the founder of New York Jazz Academy. Javier is the author of several influential music texts and articles, and he has been published by Jazz Educators Journal, UNC Jazz Press, and Dorn Publications. He has taught jazz for over 25 years.