Colin Gordon

Colin Gordon is a saxophonist, composer, and music educator residing in Rochester, NY. Originally from Corning, NY, Colin began playing saxophone at age nine and by high school was performing regularly with a variety of local musicians. He went on to pursue his musical training with distinguished artists Steve Wilson, Jon Gordon, Michael Moore, Eric Alexander, and Ramon Ricker. He formally studied at SUNY Purchase, Prince Claus Conservatory (Groningen, The Netherlands) and is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) at Eastman School of Music.

Colin has performed extensively at international jazz festivals and jazz clubs in The Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and most recently was a featured soloist with the UNLV Wind Orchestra along with Eric Marienthal and Bernie Dresel at the Festival des Anches d’Azur in La Croix Valmer, France. He has also performed in New York City at venues such as Smalls, Birdland, Smoke, ShapeShifter Lab, Tea Lounge, The Bar Next Door, Symphony Space, and City Winery.

While many of his influences on the saxophone include jazz greats such as Charlie Parker, Lee Konitz, and John Coltrane, Colin has also found inspiration in various musical cultures throughout the world. He is currently writing a book regarding microtonal music in jazz after receiving an award from Eastman’s New Venture Challenge, as well as an instructional book on practicing polyrhythms in jazz.


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