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Performer, composer, arranger, educator and arts administrator Dan Thomas has received countless performance awards, and has performed, recorded and presented with some of the most influential jazz artists and pedagogues in nearly every state in the continental US, Canada, and abroad. Thomas’ CDs, City Scope, Musical Sanctuary and Voyage continue to receive critical acclaim, and acknowledgement on the national airplay charts.

Thomas has held previous appointments having served as the Executive Director and CEO of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra. For nearly two decades, he served on the Doctoral faculty and as the co-chair of the Jazz Studies Program at UMKC’s Conservatory of Music and Dance with Bobby Watson. His students perform throughout the globe and teach at the highest levels, and have appeared many times at the Kennedy Center’s Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program, Jazz Port Townsend workshops, the Monterey Jazz Festival, and JEN. Students have been recognized in numerous jazz competitions and received many awards, notably in Downbeat, by Thelonious Monk, MTNA, Yamaha, ITG, Name, Music for All, Grammy, Bard Summer Jazz Academy (JALCO), the National Youth Orchestra and the Vandoren jazz saxophone competition, among other.

Thomas holds performing artist/educator endorsements with Yamaha, Vandoren, Locoparasaxo, WeWOOD and Roo Pads.

Bobby Watson sits among the pantheon of present-day jazz greats both as performer and composer. Born in Lawrence, Kan., his career now spans more than four decades. A multi-GRAMMY®-nominated saxophonist, composer, bandleader, educator and producer, Watson trained formally at the University of Miami and then, from 1977-81, earned his “doctorate” as musical director of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. During his four-plus years with the legendary drummer, the saxophonist contributed to 14 Jazz Messengers recordings — more than anyone else in the group’s 35-year (1955-90) storied history.

Early on, in addition to Blakey, the saxophonist also worked with notable jazz icons and elder statesmen such as Max Roach, Louis Hayes, George Coleman and Sam Rivers, as well as sharing music experiences with innumerable noteworthy peers and colleagues as well as legendary vocalists such as Joe Williams, Lou Rawls, Betty Carter, Dianne Reeves and Carmen Lundy.

Virtually simultaneously, Watson also issued several other titles such as Love Remains (Red), the saxophonist’s now-classic 1986 release. The recording, recognized by the Penguin Guide to Jazz (Penguin; 7 th Ed.), received the publication’s highest rating, cited in the edition as a part of its “core collection” joining other entries as a title any jazz aficionado should own. Year of the Rabbit, a musical tribute to Johnny Hodges, followed in 1989; Tailor Made, the Watson-led GRAMMY®-nominated all-star big band in 1993; he also released multiple titles by the four-horn 29th Street Saxophone Quartet and composed music for the Robert De Niro-directed film, A Bronx Tale (1993).

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Bill McKemy is a teacher, historian, composer and musician based in Kansas City and is the host and researcher behind the Nameless and Unremembered podcast. 

McKemy appears on Latin Grammy winner Mireya Ramos 2023 recording Sin Fronteras as well as a 17-minute appearance on a World Cafe Mini-Concert on NPR with Ramos. McKemy has also performed with Khan Jamal, Mickey Roker, Bobby Durham, Pablo Batista, John Abercrombie and many others. Current musical projects include groups Relativity Brass and Fluorescer.

McKemy has released three solo CDs which have enjoyed critical acclaim including the Kansas City Star’s Top Ten of 2002 (Duende), Pitch Weekly’s Best Local Jazz CD of 2003 (Om Nidrah) and a feature on NPR’s All Songs Considered. 

McKemy has presented a variety of workshops and talks for attendees at conferences of the Kansas Music Education Association, Kansas Bandmasters Association, Missouri Bandmasters Association, Young Audiences and Folk Alliance International.

Katie Benyo received her Masters in Violin Performance from The University of Missouri, Kansas City.  She not only performs and teaches classical music, she has also performed and recorded in many different styles of music including country, traditional Americana, jazz, fiddle, bluegrass, pop and rock.  She performed at the Major League Baseball World Series, the American Royal World Series of BBQ, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, and with Lindsey Stirling, 2Cellos and Evanescence. She uses her eclectic performing background to inspire students no matter their musical interests.  She studied pedagogy at Indiana University's retreat for Violin and Viola teachers under Mimi Zweig, and she taught at the international music festival, VerArte in Arequipa, Peru.

Stan was born into a musical family and he began his professional
career at age 15 by playing “tailgate” trombone in his Dad’s Dixieland
Band. After college, where he earned a Bachelor’s of Music Eduacation
and a Master’s in Solo Performance, Stan entered the U.S. Air Force Band
program. During his Air Force career, he was trombone soloist and lead
player with various groups. Stan arrived on the Portland, OR scene in
the mid ‘90s and has become one of the most active jazz trombonists in
the area, performing with a full spectrum of musical groups throughout
the United States.

Stan was on the music faculty at Willamette University from Sep. 1995-
May 2012 and in the fall term, 2005, he also joined the jazz faculty at
Mt. Hood Community College until retiring from higher education in
2012. He continues to be an active performer, composer, and arranger,
appearing throughout the Northwest as a Clinician and Performer.

Brandon has held teaching positions at the Blue Valley School District and the Ottawa School District. In addition to his position at ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, he teaches elementary general music at Sunflower Elementary School (Ottawa, Kansas).

Outside of teaching, Brandon is an active member of the Ottawa City Band. He enjoys spending time outdoors by either hiking, kayaking, biking, or rock climbing.

Jacob Fry is a passionate music educator and performer based in the Kansas City metro area. Jacob graduated for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ with a degree in Vocal Music Education and Jazz Studies, Jacob actively performs in the local jazz scene, bringing soulful, dynamic energy to venues across KC. With a deep love for both education and performance, Jacob strives to inspire others through music every day.

Matt has been a top-tier guitarist in Kansas City for over 20 years. In addition to working frequently with his own jazz trio and quartet, Matt is a vital fixture in at least 25 of Kansas City’s premier music ensembles. The reasons that he remains in such demand as a performer and educator are that he is uniquely gifted, reliable, and diligent. Additionally, his aptitude for performing and teaching various styles of music makes him an invaluable asset in any musical situation and institution.

In addition to performing consistently and frequently around the greater Kansas City metropolitan area for over 20 years, Matt has performed overseas in Paris, Porto Alegre, Rio, Salvador, and Novo Hamburgo. While in the Brazilian cities of Porto Alegre and Rio, Matt taught masterclasses at their local universities.

Matt’s impeccable skill as a guitarist and his wealth of experience as a private jazz instructor make him a valuable asset to the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ music faculty.

Aaron Linscheid is a trumpet performer and educator based in Kansas City. In addition to his work as an educator, Linscheid is also an accomplished performer.  Recent performances include with his own trio, the Diamond Empire Band and performances of original works with Clint Ashlock’s New Jazz Order. Before moving to Kansas City, he spent several summers in the Education Department of the New York Philharmonic.

Dr. Kevin Marét is the President of the Professional and Online Campuses at ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ. In addition to his duties as President, Marét conducts the University Wind Ensemble and teaches various music courses as the Associate Professor of Music. Previously, Dr. Marét served as the Dean of Arts and Sciences, Chair of the Creative Arts Division, the Interim Academic Dean at the Ottawa Campus, and the Academic Dean for OU Online. Dr. Marét served as the Fine Arts Coordinator for the Topeka Public School District, taught band in Missouri, instructed courses at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, was adjunct faculty at Grace University, Northwest Missouri State University, and was the Assistant Director of Bands and Director of Percussion Studies at McKendree University. His performance credits include the "United States Air Force Heartland of America Band" at Offutt AFB, Principal Percussionist with the Sioux City Symphony, and regular performances with the Kansas City, Omaha, and Lincoln Symphonies. His military band Sidewinder has performed on "The Ellen Show", "Entertainment Tonight”, "Fox and Friends”, and at the White House. Marét has performed with Placido Domingo, Patti LuPone, Idina Menzel, and Tommy Tune. His compositions can be heard in commercials, movie trailers, and television shows.

Dr. Marét holds a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Northwest Missouri State University, a Master of Music Education Degree, and a Doctorate in Musical Arts - Percussion Performance Degree from the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Susan is a graduate of the UMKC Conservatory of Music (BM), the ) and attended Manhattan School of Music in New York City.  Her experience in music performing and teaching spans over 38 years.  She has taught at the Cincinnati School for the Performing Arts, the UMKC Conservatory, and Pittsburgh State University and from her home in Overland Park, Kansas. Her students have been featured soloists for their own school bands and orchestras and various prestigious summer music camps, as well as the Kansas City Youth Symphony.  They have been Missouri and Kansas District and All State principal players, and become music majors and professors.

Susan has performed for almost every type of musical venue including for The Who, many Theater League productions, as a soloist with the Kansas City Symphony, the former Kansas City Camerata, and the NewEar Contemporary Ensemble (for which she is also a co-founder). She has been a featured performing guest for Cincinnati Public Radio, and a recurrent guest for NPR’s “One Small Step”.  She was recently presented with the 2024 Russell Berlin Award for Excellence in Music Education by the Kansas City Youth Symphony,

She has been married for 34 years, and has twin boys who are both recent graduates of the KU’s Law School.  She has been an active substitute teacher in the Blue Valley School District, a volunteer for Church of the Resurrection’s Youth Group, and enjoys nature, friends, skiing and tennis when she is not a busy homemaker.  She and her husband both started the “It’s a Racket” tennis fundraisers, pre-Covid, that raised over $17,000 for local mental health organizations.

Forest Stewart's experience includes work on both French horn and electric bass. Forest is bassist and musical director for a popular and well-known singer in the Kansas City area, Ida McBeth and Friends, plays bass with Dan Thomas and Voyage, Cubanisms, and has worked extensively with Orquesta Alto Maiz, "the Salsa Band". On horn, Forest has performed with the Des Moines Symphony, the Rochester Orchestra and Chorale, the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra, and currently plays with Lee’s Summit Symphony and the People’s Liberation Big Band under the direction of Brad Cox. Forest has performed in New York, Las Vegas, Denver, Minneapolis/St. Paul, in cities throughout Germany and Italy, and at festivals in Chicago, Los Angeles, Geneva, Montreaux, Den Haag and Cuba.

Artists with whom Forest has performed include Nick Brignola, Steve Cardenas, Richie Cole, Jerry Coker, Garry Dial, John Fedchock, Bruce Forman, Mike Freeman, Bill Goodwin, Steve Houghton, Arnie Lawrence, David Liebman, Chip McNeal, Jim McNeely, Roy Meriwether, Dick Oatts, Kim Park, Jack Peterson, Jim Piu, Joe Porcaro, Emil Richards, Bobby Shew, Marvin Stam, Jerry Steinholtz, Clark Terry, Dan Thomas, Phil Upchurch, Bobby Watson, Jiggs Wiggums, and the Paul Winter Consort.

Ivy Lu Wang is an active pianist, chamber musician, lecturer, teacher, and founder of the Conero International Piano Festival & Competition and the International Piano Professionals Association (IPPA). As an inspiring lecturer and teacher, Wang is frequently invited to give concerts, masterclasses, and lectures at many different universities and piano schools. Wang's academic research specialty is injury prevention. She graduated with honors from University of Kansas with her doctoral Dissertation “Applying the Rotation Principle to Avoid Injury in Piano Practice”. In her performance career, Wang has won multiple competition prizes, including the first prize in the 2011 Zhong-sin International Music Competition in Singapore, where she was invited to perform in the award ceremony with the jury.

Brian Ward is a keyboardist, educator, composer, and arranger from Portland, Oregon. Brian has performed with the Oregon Symphony, Bobby Torres, Shirley Nanette, Curtis Salgado, Obo Addy, Will Matthews, Dan Thomas, Dave Valdez, Bobby Watson, and many others. “City of Roses,” one of the arrangements Ward helped create for Esperanza Spalding's album Radio Music Society, won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement for Vocal Performance. Ward has teaching affiliations at Portland State University, Washington State University, University of Idaho, Eastern Washington University, University of Kansas, and Benedictine College. Currently, Brian came to Kansas City to complete his Doctor of Musical Arts in composition degree at KU Lawrence and is enjoying performing jazz and blues in the Kansas City area.

Andrew Wray is a drum set artist, composer, and educator currently residing in Kansas City. He is a staple of the city’s vibrant jazz scene, and plays regularly with many of the city’s top bandleaders. Andrew also leads his own trio, playing his original music and adaptations of jazz standards and current popular music, with an album due in early 2026. In addition to his creative and dynamic drum set playing, Andrew is a thoughtful and gifted educator, helping his students cultivate their musical skills through thorough and engaging instruction, informed by years of dedicated study and real-world experience.

Andrew grew up in Olathe, KS. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he studied percussion performance with Dr. Dave Hall. In 2019, he was featured on the world premiere of “Liminality” by Dave Hall at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, with the UNL Percussion Ensemble who were winners of the International Percussion Ensemble Contest that year. In 2023 Andrew was selected to be a member of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra’s Riff Generation project, where he played drums as well as provided arrangements for the 10-piece ensemble.

Andrew’s compositions for steel band, percussion ensemble, and percussion + electronics have been performed by the University of Nebraska, the University of North Texas, and Kansas State University. Andrew has been featured on several studio recordings, including the self-titled album by June Parks, “Fanfare, Nocturne, Fanfare” by Greg Simon, and Periharp by Jeff Shirley.