Fans of rhythm and jazz will delight in the arrival of a talented musician drumming her way to Michigan State University’s College of Music for a week-long residency where she will share her love of percussion music from the stage and expertise in the classroom.

As the next MSUFCU Jazz Artist in Residence, jazz drummer Sylvia Cuenca will be at MSU from December 4-10, including a concert performance on Friday, December 8 at 8 p.m. at the Fairchild Theatre in the MSU Auditorium. An active drummer on the New York jazz scene, Cuenca is a dynamic musician who has been mentored by and performs with prominent names in jazz. Through this residency, she brings her passion and expertise to the MSU community and her experiences performing all over the world to MSU Jazz Studies students.

“I know of Sylvia’s reputation as a tremendously outstanding jazz drummer working with icons Clark Terry and Joe Henderson,” said Randy Gelispie, instructor for jazz drums with the MSU College of Music. “I am looking forward to hosting Ms. Cuenca and to having her work with our students and put on a great concert for our community.”

A distinguished jazz percussionist in the international world of music, Cuenca has cultivated a tailored list of performances and a striking career replete with collaborations, teaching opportunities and accomplishments. She has had the honor of sharing the bandstand with saxophone legend Joe Henderson for 4 years and trumpet legend Clark Terry for 17 years. She has toured frequently with the Joe Henderson Quartet throughout Europe and at venues across the United States. Cuenca has shared her skills as a drum instructor for multiple educational festivals, recorded songs for and appeared on popular TV programming, and received multiple jazz performance grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The dynamic MSUFCU Jazz Artist in Residence series, now in its 11th season, brings high-level talent to spend a week teaching and performing with MSU jazz studies and K-12 students at schools and academies across Michigan. In addition to Cuenca, the working musicians, educators and composers featured in the 2032-24 year include pianist Geoffrey Keezer, vocalist Jazzmeia Horn, and bassist John Clayton. The MSU College of Music coordinates the innovative residency, launched in 2013 and supported by a $1 million endowment by MSUFCU. It 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.

Reserved seating tickets to Cuenca’s concert on campus with MSU Jazz Orchestras on Friday, December 8 are available at $17 for adults, $15 for seniors (age 60 and older), and $7 for students. Information and tickets to all MSU College of Music concerts can be found on the MSU College of Music website

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Jazz Artists in Residence Schedule Overview

Sylvia Cuenca, drums, December 4-10, 2023. Click here for a full bio.

Drummer Sylvia Cuenca will travel and perform with MSU’s Jazz Orchestra I to visit music and jazz programs at public schools and academies in Holland, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Detroit.

• Monday, Dec. 4, East Lansing, Mich. Blue Mondays, MSU Federal Credit Union, 6 p.m. (Limited seating, RSVP required)
• Tuesday, Dec. 5, MSU Rehearsals & Workshops with MSU Jazz Orchestra I, II and III, 11:30-7 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 6, CMS Detroit, Mich. MSU Community Music School, with MSU Jazz Orchestra I, 6 p.m. showtime
• Thursday, Dec. 7, Kalamazoo, Mich. Hackett Catholic Prep, with MSU Jazz Orchestra I, 7 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 8, East Lansing, Masterclass & Performance, MSU Fairchild Theater, 8 p.m. showtime
• Saturday, Dec. 9, Ann Arbor, Mich. Ann Arbor High School with MSU Jazz Orchestra I and Ann Arbor Area School jazz ensembles, 7:00 p.m. showtime
• Sunday, Dec. 10, Holland, Mich. Harbor Lights Middle School with MSU Jazz Orchestra I, 4 p.m. showtime

Jazzmeia Horn, voice, February 5–11, 2024. For a full bio, visit: artistryofjazzhorn.com
Vocalist and composer Jazzmeia Horn has earned top honors at two of the most high-profile jazz competitions, Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and the 2015 Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition. Her talents are shared in her most recent album release, Dear Love, a recording that brims with a combination of her signature vocal delivery, deft arrangements, and fiery musical ideas.

John Clayton, bass, March 18–24, 2024. For a full bio, visit: www.johnclaytonjazz.com
Bassist, composer, arranger, and producer John Clayton is a Grammy-winner with nine additional nominations and has written and recorded with artists such as Milt Jackson, Diana Krall, Paul McCartney, Regina Carter, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Gladys Knight, Queen Latifah, and many others. Clayton was the principal bassist in the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra (The Netherlands) from 1980-1984. In 1986, he co-founded the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and rekindled The Clayton Brothers Quintet. In addition to his individual clinics and workshops, he also directs the educational components of Centrum, The Port Townsend Jazz Festival, and the Vail Jazz Workshop.

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Press materials

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

The MSUFCU Jazz Artist in Residence series fosters musical education and performance, offering a unique opportunity to engage with top talent, like Cuenca, who will share her expertise and passion with the MSU community.

An active jazz percussionist and collaborator for more than 20 years, Sylvia Cuenca’s sounds and rhythmic style have helped her land coveted spots to perform and record with notable jazz legends.