BRANDON K. HARPER
Jazz Pianist
Awards and Honors
2024 YoungArts National Competition winner
A recipient of the Jazz Piano accolade
2023 John Philip Sousa Band Award
For outstanding achievement and interest in instrumental music - Lincoln Park High School
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2023 Jazz in the Chi Regional Essentially Ellington Jazz Band Festival
• Outstanding Piano Soloist, Big Bands - Lincoln Park High School
• Outstanding Piano Soloist, Combos - Lincoln Park High School
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2023 NYO Jazz Alternate Musician
Selected as an alternate musician for the 2023 season of Carnegie Hall NYO Jazz
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2022 Jazz at Lincoln Center Summer Jazz Academy
Bard College - Invitee and participant
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2022 Louis Armstrong Award
For superior jazz musicianship, character and individual creativity • Lincoln Park High School
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2022 Jazz in the Chi Regional Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Festival
Outstanding Piano Soloist, Jazz
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The Gordon B. Peters Endowed Principal Timpani Chair
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra spring season 2022
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2021 Jazz Institute of Chicago’s Kiewit-Wang Mentorship Award
Mentorship Award co-recipient for excellence in musicianship as a high school jazz instrumentalist
2021 Illinois Music Educators Association's All-State Band
Classical Percussion
Resume
2022 - 2023 Events and Programs
Chicago Symphony Orchestra -
Young ComposersInitiative Composer / Violinist, Jessie Montgomery mentorship Oct 2022 - April 2023
National Association for Music Education:
All-National Honor Ensemble Jazz Band
Nov 5 - National Harbor, Maryland
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Chicago Jazz Festival
Sept 3 - Lincoln Park High School, Jazz Band
Caramoor Jazz Festival, Katonah, NY
July 30 - Jazz at Lincoln Center's Summer Jazz Academy
A two-week residential high school summer institute for advanced study in jazz performance. July 17 - 30, 2022
at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY .
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2021-22 Piano Gigs (Jazz, R&B, Dance Variety)
Jazz Institute of Chicago’s Jazz City 2022
Celebrating the Centennial of Louis Armstrong’s
Arrival in Chicago
Student trio leader • Columbus Park Refectory, Chicago, IL
An Evening with Mike Jones and Friends
Madison Street Theater, Oak Park, IL
http://madisonstreettheater.org/
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Jazz Institute of Chicago: Water Colors Fresh Fest
Student ensemble leader • Navy Pier, Chicago, IL
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Ballet Chicago Studio Company: The Music of
Black Voices
Harris Theater, Chicago, IL
Chicago Tap Theater: Snapshot
Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture, Chicago, IL
Education
Northwestern University, Evanston IL
Fall 2023, Current Freshman
Jazz Studies Program, Piano
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Lincoln Park HS, Chicago, IL - Class of 2023
• IB Program, Music Performance
• Concert Band (freshman - senior)
• Jazz Band (sophomore - senior)
• Marching Band (freshman - senior/Drum Major)
Music Organizations
Jazz Links Student Council
Jazz Institute of Chicago, 2021 - 2023
Ravinia Jazz Scholars Program
2020 - 2022 (drums 2020-21 • piano 2021-2022
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra
• Jazz Orchestra, 2020 - 2023
(drums 2020-21 season, piano 2021-22 season)
• Symphony Orchestra, 2020 - 2022
• Philharmonic Orchestra, 2019 - 2020
• Debut Orchestra, 2017 - 2019
Alice S. Pfaelzer Conservatory at Merit School
of Music
Jazz Studies, 2019 - 2021 (Drums)
Jazz Large Ensemble Directors
Pharez Whitted, Jazz Director
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra
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Pat Mallinger, Lead Mentor
Ravinia Jazz Mentor Program