Jason T. Ricks
Jason T. Ricks, B.M., M.M., is currently a 2024 candidate for the Doctorate in Musical Arts from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He received his bachelor’s in music performance from Tennessee Technological University in 2019, studying under the renowned R. Winston Morris, and received his master’s in music from the Eastman School of Music in 2021, studying under Mark Kellogg on euphonium. In 2022, Jason received the Eastman School of Music Performer’s Certificate on trombone, following up on receiving a performance certificate on euphonium in 2021, putting him in extremely rare company of receiving performance certificates on two brass instruments from Eastman.
Mr. Ricks has performed with multiple groups on both euphonium and trombone. Experience includes the Erie Philharmonic Orchestra, Eastman Musica Nova, Eastman Wind Ensemble, the Switch~ Ensemble, Ossia, Southern Sounds Quartet, and the Bryan Symphony Orchestra (as a guest soloist). In addition to his two performance certificates from Eastman, doctoral candidate Ricks was named the winner of the Joan Derryberry Solo Concerto Competition at Tennessee Tech University, was alumnus of the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts, and recipient of the John Philip Sousa Award. In addition to performing, Mr. Ricks has been an instructor of private euphonium and tuba at the University of Rochester, methods class instructor of euphonium at Eastman, and has served as a studio and teaching assistant to three professors at Eastman.
Mr. Ricks is a native of Mississippi, having also resided in Nevada and Tennessee prior to his arrival in New York. He has traveled extensively, visiting nearly two dozen countries. Since age eight, he has been inspired by his grandfather and father, who were both euphonium players. On his spare time, Mr. Ricks enjoys weightlifting, paddleboarding, swimming, tennis, and traveling.