Jazz aficionados and aspiring musicians will swing into the winter season when an influential European trombonist and composer visits the Michigan State University College of Music for a weeklong residency of teaching, touring and performing state-wide.

Jazz trombonist Adrian Mears will be at MSU from December 5-11 to mentor students through the MSUFCU Jazz Artist in Residence Program, now in its 10th season. While in residence, Mears will instruct and perform during a seven-day gig packed with workshops and campus concerts. Mears will also hit the road with MSU’s Jazz Orchestra I to visit music and jazz programs at public schools and academies in Holland, Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor, and Detroit. 

“I've been a fan of the great Adrian Mears for nearly twenty years. His acclaimed recordings showcase a bespoke combination of erudition and viscerality that became a model for my own creative output,” said Michael Dease, professor of jazz trombone in the MSU Department of Jazz Studies. “His powerful presence on the trombone along with his compelling ensemble writing defines his reputation as a world-renowned jazz artist of the highest caliber.  His deep commitment towards mentorship and sharing his knowledge of jazz makes him a perfect fit for the MSU Federal Credit Union's innovative Jazz Artist in Residence program.”

Regarded as one of the strongest voices on trombone in the European jazz scene, Adrian Mears has nurtured a distinguished career with numerous collaborations and accomplishments. His long list of recording and performing credits include the Vienna Art Orchestra, Kenny Wheeler, Bob Brookmeyer New Art Orchestra, McCoy Tyner’s Big Band, the NDR big band with Tim Hagans, Bobby Shew, James Morrison, Don Pullen, Eddie Palmeri, Paquito DiRivera, and countless others. Mears was a member of the international sextet Ugetsu which recorded four albums that included many of his compositions and performed at 200 concerts and festivals throughout Europe, China and Australia. Originally from Australia, Mears has been commissioned to compose works for diverse ensembles, bands, choirs and television, and is a dedicated educator at conservatories and academies in Germany and Switzerland.

The dynamic series of working musicians, educators and composers for the 2022-23 Jazz Artists in Residence season supported by the MSUFCU includes artists Carmen Bradford, vocals; Adrian Mears, trombone; Bruce Forman, guitar; and Camille Thurman, saxophone. Launched in 2013, the pioneering residency program imports high-level talent to spend a week teaching and performing with MSU jazz studies and K-12 students at schools and academies across the state. Coordinated by the MSU College of Music and supported by a $1 million endowment by MSUFCU, the program follows the jazz tradition of established musicians passing on their knowledge to aspiring musicians, while often enriching resource-strapped jazz programs in urban and rural communities.

Mears will cap his week-long residency with a performance featuring MSU Jazz Orchestras I, II and III on Friday, Dec. 9, 8 p.m., at Fairchild Theatre, in the MSU Auditorium. Reserved seating tickets are $17 for adults, $15 for seniors (age 60 and older) and $7 for students. Information on these and other concerts, as well as ticket can be found on the MSU College of Music website.

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Jazz Artist in Residence Schedule Overview

Adrian Mears, trombone, December 5-11, 2022. Click here for a full bio.

Trombonist Adrian Mears will travel and perform with MSU’s Jazz Orchestra I to visit music and jazz programs at public schools and academies in Holland, Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor, and Detroit.

• Monday, Dec. 5, East Lansing, Mich. Blue Mondays, MSU Federal Credit Union, 6 p.m.
  (limited seating, RSVP required)
• Wednesday, Dec. 7,  MSU Community Music School-Detroit with MSU Jazz Orchestra I,
  7 p.m. showtime
• Thursday, Dec. 8, Kalamazoo, Mich. Hackett Catholic Prep High School, with MSU Jazz Orchestra I,
  7 p.m. showtime
• Friday, Dec. 9, East Lansing, Mich. Masterclass and performance at MSU Fairchild Theatre with MSU Jazz Orchestras,
  8 p.m. showtime
• Saturday, Dec. 10, Ann Arbor Huron, Pioneer High School with MSU Jazz Orchestra I, 7 p.m. showtime
• Sunday, Dec. 11, Holland, Mich. Harbor Lights Middle School with MSU Jazz Orchestra I,
  4 p.m. showtime

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Press materials

View or download the press release (PDF)
Contact Michael Sundermann, 517-353-2043, sunderm7@msu.edu 

Photography and graphic downloads

Event graphic courtesy MSU College of Music.

Adrian Mears, jazz trombonist, playing Didgeridoo; picture taken in Jazz Club Unterfahrt, Munich, Germany. Photo by OhWeh.

Adrian Mears, performing at Jazz Club Unterfahrt in Munich, Germany. Photo by OhWeh.