The Freedom of Jazz Orchestra, a new and adventurous big band performing the premiere of an exciting, original jazz production about friendship, is led by saxophonist and award-winning jazz composer, Kari Musil. "Friendship" was made possible by a grant from the American Composers Forum with funds provided by the Jerome Foundation.
Kari Musil has been composing music for jazz orchestra since 1981. She has written many compositions that have been performed by various ensembles in Minnesota and Wisconsin – Moorhead State University Stage Band, University of MN Jazz Ensemble 1, UMD Jazz Ensemble, Northland College Jazz Ensemble (Ashland, WI), Big Time Jazz Orchestra (Duluth), Big Woods Big Band (NW Wisconsin), NOVA Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, Take Four Saxophone Quartet, BADFIT, and IMP ORK.
In 2011 she received a Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative grant to record her first album, The Music of Kari Musil, featuring vocalist Leslee McKee, and poet J. Otis Powell‽, with the NOVA Jazz Orchestra. NOVA has also performed her compositions on three of their CDs. Ms. Musil has studied large ensemble jazz composition with Dave Rivello (Eastman School of Music) via Skype since 2012. She has also been greatly influenced by her long-time teacher, Ed Berger, and musical mentor, Anita Brown. She is currently playing tenor saxophone with the Swing Sisterhood Big Band.
Kari Musil has been composing music for jazz orchestra since 1981. She has written many compositions that have been performed by various ensembles in Minnesota and Wisconsin – Moorhead State University Stage Band, University of MN Jazz Ensemble 1, UMD Jazz Ensemble, Northland College Jazz Ensemble (Ashland, WI), Big Time Jazz Orchestra (Duluth), Big Woods Big Band (NW Wisconsin), NOVA Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, Take Four Saxophone Quartet, BADFIT, and IMP ORK.
In 2011 she received a Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative grant to record her first album, The Music of Kari Musil, featuring vocalist Leslee McKee, and poet J. Otis Powell‽, with the NOVA Jazz Orchestra. NOVA has also performed her compositions on three of their CDs. Ms. Musil has studied large ensemble jazz composition with Dave Rivello (Eastman School of Music) via Skype since 2012. She has also been greatly influenced by her long-time teacher, Ed Berger, and musical mentor, Anita Brown. She is currently playing tenor saxophone with the Swing Sisterhood Big Band.
