2026 FEATURED INSTRUCTORS
Kurt Rosenwinkel
American composer, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, and producer Kurt Rosenwinkel is one of the most celebrated musical voices in jazz and is widely renowned as one of the most distinctive and gifted guitarists to have ever played the instrument.
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Rosenwinkel’s harmonically rich, rhythmically free, and incomparably fluid style has made him one of the most important jazz musicians to emerge in the last thirty years, and his groundbreaking sonic conception of the guitar has changed the way the instrument has been perceived and played ever since. His recordings as a bandleader in early aughts on Verve Records were strikingly original releases that reshaped contemporary jazz in the 21st century. The Enemies of Energy (2000), The Next Step (2001), Heartcore (2003) and Deep Song (2005), would redefine the sound of jazz for a new era, deftly fusing jazz’s deep acoustic traditions with electronics, digital manipulation, programmed beats, and utterly modern harmonic and compositional structures that even today we can still only reference as ‘Rosenwinkelian’.
He continues this freethinking experimentalism with albums like Our Secret World (2010), in collaboration with the Orchestra de Jazz Matosinhos, the “contemporary classic” (Kelman, All About Jazz) Star of Jupiter (2012), and Caipi (2017), a Brazilian influenced album with Rosenwinkel taking on most of the instrumental and vocal duties.
He continues to reinvent jazz standards on Reflections (2008) and Angels Around (2020). Rosenwinkel’s most recent releases include Kurt Rosenwinkel Plays Piano (2021), an album of solo piano pieces that offers an intimate look at Rosenwinkel’s relationship to the piano and how it formed his compositional mind, and a collaboration with pianist Jean-Paul Brodbeck entitled The Chopin Project (2022) which finds him reimagining Chopin compositions with Brodbeck in a jazz context. His latest upcoming album, Berlin Baritone is a solo improvisational album on baritone guitar, and a uniquely intimate release, where listeners get to hear Rosenwinkel discover the timbral world of his newfound instrument with reverence and curiosity. Rosenwinkel’s prolific output has always retained his unique voice, and each release is a constellation in his singular musical universe, always expanding outwards, to reach for the next beautiful sound.
In addition to his genre-defining work as a bandleader, Rosenwinkel is also an accomplished sideman, with over 150 credits to his name. His first exposure to international touring was with Gary Burton, the legendary vibraphonist who hired him out of Berklee College in 1992. That same year he joined Paul Motian’s Electric Bebop Band, and entered into a decade-long musical relationship with the drummer that helped usher in a new era in Motian’s already illustrious career.
These collaborative relationships, along with tours as Joe Henderson’s guitarist in 1997 established Rosenwinkel early in his career as a player who had the blessing of giants of the jazz world. His work with Brian Blade Fellowship, Mark Turner, Joshua Redman, Seamus Blake, Donald Fagen, and hosts of other jazz luminaries further cemented his star power.
Rosenwinkel’s success has also extended far beyond the world of jazz. He has been a member of the Crossroads Guitar Festival family since 2013, when he was personally invited by blues and rock legend Eric Clapton to perform and share the stage with him. The iconic guitarist who called Rosenwinkel “a genius” also featured on Rosenwinkel’s Caipi (2017), playing on the song “Little Dream”. Rosenwinkel’s collaboration with Q-Tip on The Renaissance (2008) and Kamaal the Abstract (2009) showed that Rosenwinkel’s playing had breadth that extended comfortably into hip-hop that has led to performances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon with The Roots, and a collaboration with internet sensations DOMi and JD BECK.
In the winter of 2016, Rosenwinkel formed the independent music label Heartcore Records with the focused intention of signing and promoting a new generation of musicians whose exacting standards and creative passions equal his own. Over the last few years Heartcore has released a series of online masterclasses taught by Rosenwinkel that leads viewers through deep theoretical, compositional, and technical explorations of musical topics with humor and approachability. Heartcore Records has also allowed Rosenwinkel to flourish in another dimension of his ever-evolving musical practice as a record producer of other artists, while still consistently putting out his own music that blazes new pathways in the annals of modern jazz.
MATTEO MANCUSO
Matteo Mancuso, born in 1996, a guitar child prodigy, approached the world of music at an early age, thanks to his father Vincenzo. He enrolled in a musical high school where he deepened his studies in classical guitar and founded the trio “SNIPS.” With this trio, he released the famous version of “The Chicken,” which quickly reached millions of views across various social media platforms.
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In 2019, he began a collaboration with Yamaha Guitars, participating in the NAMM Show in Los Angeles, the “Young Guitar Festival” in Bangkok, and several masterclasses in Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Perm).
In 2020, Matteo formed his new trio with Stefano India on bass and Giuseppe Bruno on drums, and began dedicating space to his compositional vein by presenting his first original tracks. This marked the beginning of his first intense live activity in Italy and Europe, which developed throughout 2021/2022.
On July 21, 2023, his first solo album, titled “The Journey,” was released. This work outlines his authentic, polyhedric musical nature and kicks off a new cycle of concerts with his new lineup, featuring Riccardo Oliva on bass and Gianluca Pellerito on drums. This cycle will continue throughout 2024 with more than 50 concerts between the USA and Europe.
In 2025, he will embark on his first major international tour with over 30 concerts in the main cities of the United States and Canada. His YouTube channel is followed by a vast international audience of nearly 300,000 subscribers. He has received praise and recognition, among others, from Steve Vai, Al di Meola, Joe Bonamassa, and Eric Johnson.
Gilad Hekselman
Gilad Hekselman is one of the leading voices in jazz guitar. Only a few years after his arrival to NY in 2004, this native Israeli was already sharing stages with some of the greatest artists in the New York City jazz scene including Chris Potter, Eric Harland, Fred Hersch, Mark Turner, Anat Cohen, Ari Hoenig, Esperanza Spalding, Jeff Ballard, Ben Wendel, Gretchen Parlato, Ben Williams, Avishai Cohen, Tigran Hamasyan, Aaron Parks and Becca Stevens among many others.
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In May 2019, Hekselman featured his quartet at the legendary NYC venue The Village Vanguard. He has also been playing all other major jazz clubs in New York City, including the Blue Note, The Jazz Standard, Dizzy's Club and Smalls. He is constantly touring world-wide and has played most noteworthy jazz festivals and venues including Montreux, North Sea, Montreal & SFJazz to name a few.
Hekselman has released 9 critically-acclaimed records as a band-leader, many of which have made it into 'best of the year' lists on NY Times, Downbeat Magazine, Amazon, All About Jazz and many other publications. His 10th record, Far Star, was released on Edition Records in May 2022. It's an all-original album in which Hekselman plays many instruments, and it features special guests such as Eric Harland, Shai Maestro, Ziv Ravitz and more. The record release will be celebrated with a week-long engagement at the Village Vanguard in NYC at the end of March 2022.
Gilad is the recipient of several prestigious awards and recognitions. In 2017, Gilad placed first in the Rising Star category of Downbeat Magazine. That same year, he won the 7 Virtual Jazz Club international competition 2017. In 2018 Gilad was asked by guitar legend Pat Metheny to perform as part of his NEA Award ceremony at The Kennedy Center, alongside some of Metheny's other favorite young guitar players. Gilad is also the winner of the 2005 Gibson Montreux International Guitar Competition, which led to a string of performances including opening for guitar legend Paco de Lucia with his trio at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2006.
Gilad began his prolific recording career in 2006 with the release of his debut album, SplitLife (Smalls Records), recorded with bassist Joe Martin and drummer Ari Hoenig. It received rave reviews from the press as did his second album, Words Unspoken (LateSet Records), recorded and released in 2008 with Joe Martin, drummer Marcus Gilmore and tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm.
In 2009, Gilad recorded three tracks for Walt Disney Records, one of which was included in the record Everybody Wants To Be a Cat (2011). The album features versions of Disney songs played by a top-shelf lineup of musicians including Dave Brubeck, Joshua Redman, Esperanza Spalding, Diane Reeves, Roy Hargrove, Kurt Rosenwinkel, The Bad Plus and many other jazz legends.
Born in Israel in 1983, Gilad studied classical piano from age 6 and began studying guitar at the age of 9. From age 12 to 14 he performed regularly with the band of a weekly children's television show. He attended the prestigious Thelma Yellin School of Arts, graduating with excellence from the jazz department at age 18. Gilad received the America - Israel Cultural Foundation Scholarship for studies abroad to attend The New School in New York, where he completed his BFA in performing arts in 2008.
CECIL ALEXANDER
Cecil Alexander is a guitarist, composer, and arranger from Muskegon, Michigan. A 2016 graduate of Berklee College of Music with a B.M. in Jazz Composition, he went on to earn his M.M. in Jazz Performance from William Paterson University in 2019.
In addition to his work as a jazz musician, Cecil co-founded the folk-rock group Visen in 2016, which released its debut EP, Shoulder Deep, the following year.
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His versatility and artistry have earned him top honors, including 1st place at the 2017 Wilson Center Jazz Guitar Competition and the 2018 Lee Ritenour Six String Theory Competition. In 2019, he was named a finalist in the prestigious Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz International Guitar Competition.
Cecil has performed and recorded with esteemed artists such as Bill Charlap, Antonio Hart, Lee Pearson, Luis Perdomo, Nathan East, and Steve LaSpina. His musical influences span genres, drawing inspiration from Jimi Hendrix, George Benson, John Coltrane, Frank Zappa, and the progressive metal band Meshuggah.
From Fall 2021-2023 Cecil was a member of the faculty at Berklee College of Music as an Assistant Professor of Guitar. In the past, he has been a faculty member at UCLA (Global Jazz Studies) and Borough of Manhattan Community College. He is currently signed to Heartcore Records, the Berlin-based label founded by legendary guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. His debut album on the label, Introducing Cecil Alexander, was released on September 23, 2022.
Cecil recently began touring with Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott) and released Duos, an intimate collection of guitar and voice duets with his wife, vocalist Ari Alexander. His latest projects, the EPs miles and miles (March 2025) and Lunette (June 2025) explore his deepening interest in guitar-driven instrumental folk and ambient music.
OZ NOY
“It’s Jazz—it just doesn’t sound like it.”
Virtuoso guitarist and composer Oz Noy has carved out a distinctive niche within the contemporary music landscape by creating an electrifying fusion of jazz, funk, rock, blues, and R&B. His innovative approach, described succinctly by Noy himself as “Jazz—it just doesn’t sound like it,” has captivated audiences worldwide and earned him widespread acclaim among fans, critics, and fellow musicians alike.
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Born in Israel, Oz embarked on his professional music career at the remarkably young age of 13, swiftly distinguishing himself across multiple genres. By age 16, he had already established himself as a leading guitarist, performing alongside many of Israel’s most prominent artists. By age 24, Oz had become one of the most in-demand session guitarists in the country and held a pivotal role as a member of the house band on Israel’s top-rated television show for over two years.
Oz’s artistic journey took a transformative leap when he relocated to New York City in 1996. His arrival in the vibrant music scene of New York marked the beginning of a prolific career, characterized by an infectious groove and genre-defying sonic explorations. Quickly making his mark, he began collaborating with some of the most revered musicians in the industry, including drummers Keith Carlock, Anton Fig, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Dave Weckl, as well as bassists Will Lee, James Genus, and Reggie Washington.
In 2003, Oz introduced himself formally to the music world with his debut album, “Oz Live!”, recorded at the legendary Bitter End in Greenwich Village. His breakthrough came shortly thereafter, signing with Magna Carta Records and releasing his critically acclaimed studio debut “Ha!” in 2005. This groundbreaking release featured his signature all-star lineup, including Anton Fig, Keith Carlock, Will Lee, and James Genus, and boasted special guest appearances by Mike Stern and George Whitty.
Oz’s discography rapidly expanded with celebrated albums such as “Fuzzy” (2007), featuring the talents of Vinnie Colaiuta, Jimmy Johnson, and Jim Beard, and “Schizophrenic” (2009), which included guest musician Steve Lukather. He then ventured into blues-infused territories with “Twisted Blues Vol. 1” (2011) and “Twisted Blues Vol. 2” (2014), highlighting collaborations with esteemed artists Eric Johnson, Allen Toussaint, Warren Haynes, Chick Corea, John Medeski, and Gregoire Maret.
In subsequent years, Oz continued his sonic experimentation with releases such as the live “Asian Twistz” (2015), recorded during an acclaimed Asian tour, and “Who Gives A Funk” (2016), featuring celebrated musicians Joe Bonamassa, Robben Ford, and Dweezil Zappa, among others. His innovative trio, Ozone Squeeze, debuted in 2017, showcasing fresh creative directions alongside drummer Darren Stanley and vocalist-keyboardist Rai Thistlethwayte. Sara Niemietz joined the band for their second album, “Squeeze It!”
His ninth solo album, “Booga Looga Loo” (2019), presented another milestone, with contributions from luminaries Steve Ferrone, Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Weckl, Will Lee, John Patitucci, James Genus, Jerry Z, and Brian Charette, further cementing Oz’s reputation as a boundary-pushing musician.
Continuing his prolific output, Oz released “Snapdragon” in 2020, further exploring his eclectic fusion style. “Riverside” (2022) offered a fresh acoustic-oriented collaboration with Ugonna Okegwo and Ray Marchica, while 2023 saw the release of “Squeeze It!” with his trio Ozone Squeeze, as well as the critically acclaimed “Triple Play,” recorded with legendary drummer Dennis Chambers and bassist Jimmy Haslip. His recent projects also include “Fun One” (2024), an adventurous collaboration with jazz label Criss Cross, and “Recreational Substance” (2025), created alongside fellow guitarist Andrew Synowiec.
Oz Noy’s live performances have continued to garner significant acclaim, including prestigious appearances at renowned events like the North Sea Jazz Festival and the “Nearness Of You” concert series, where he notably supported iconic artists such as Diana Krall, Elvis Costello, and Christopher Cross, alongside Steve Gadd. Further enriching his distinguished career, Oz regularly serves as an honored guest lecturer at Berklee College of Music, sharing his profound musical knowledge and experience.
Oz’s reputation extends beyond performing and recording; he’s highly regarded as an educator, producing instructional videos for Jazz Heaven, TrueFire, and My Music Master Class (MMMC). His educational offerings, such as “Unlocking The Neck,” “Blues, Bends and Beyond,” and “Effects On The Gig,” have become essential resources for aspiring guitarists. Oz regularly conducts masterclasses and clinics at prominent institutions, including The Collective School of Music in New York City and Musicians Institute in Los Angeles.
Throughout his remarkable career, Oz has garnered significant recognition from the global music community. Notably, Guitar Player magazine readers honored him with awards for “Best Guitar Riff on a Record” (2007), “Best New Talent” (2008), and “Best ‘Out There’ Guitar Player” (2013).
Oz Noy’s extensive collaborative credits underscore his versatility and widespread respect across the music industry. He has performed, toured, and recorded with an astonishing array of world-renowned artists, including Joe Bonamassa, Richard Bona, Chris Botti, Gavin DeGraw, Harry Belafonte, Cyndi Lauper, Idina Menzel, Clay Aiken, Toni Braxton, Nile Rodgers, Elvis Costello, Dave Weckl, John Patitucci, Roger Glover, Warren Haynes, Allen Toussaint, Eric Johnson, Mike Stern, Steve Lukather, John Medeski, Fred Wesley, Don Was, Jennifer Hudson, Don Henley, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Dweezil Zappa, Steven Tyler, Sting, Alison Krauss, Lizzo, Tomo Fujita, Dave Matthews, and many others.
Today, Oz Noy continues to innovate, inspire, and shape the musical landscape, solidifying his position as a truly unique voice within contemporary music.
BEN MONDER
A musician in the New York City area for over 30 years, Ben Monder has performed with a wide variety of artists, including Jack Mcduff, Marc Johnson, Lee Konitz, Billy Childs, Andrew Cyrille, George Garzone, Paul Motian, Maria Schneider, Louis Cole, Marshall Crenshaw and Jandek. He also contributed guitar parts to the last David Bowie album, “blackstar”. Ben conducts clinics and workshops around the world, and has served on the faculties of the New England conservatory and the new school.
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He was the recipient of a Doris Duke impact award in 2014, and a shifting foundation grant in 2013. Ben continues to perform original music internationally in solo and trio settings, and in a long standing duo project with vocalist Theo Bleckmann. He has appeared on over 200 cds as a sideman, and has released 7 as a leader: day after day (sunnyside, 2019) amorphae (ecm, 2015), hydra (sunnyside, 2013), oceana (sunnyside, 2005), excavation (arabesque, 2000), dust (arabesque, 1997), and flux (songlines,1995).
Joel Harrison
Guitarist, composer, arranger, lyricist, writer, educator, and vocalist Joel Harrison has “created a new blueprint for jazz” (New Orleans Times-Picayune). A Guggenheim Fellow (2010) whose compositions have been commissioned by Chamber Music America, Meet the Composer, New Music USA, the Jerome Foundation, NYSCA, and the Mary Flagler Cary Trust, Harrison is a two-time winner of the Jazz Composers Alliance Composition Competition and has appeared repeatedly on DownBeat Magazine’s “Rising Star” poll.
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His twenty-two releases as a leader showcase his prowess as a shapeshifting composer, with works for orchestra, string quartet, solo cello, and percussion as well as the PASIC award-winning marimba solo Fear of Silence. Notable releases include Free Country, featuring Norah Jones and David Binney; the recent America at War for jazz orchestra; String Choir: The Music of Paul Motian; and Search, featuring Donny McCaslin. His ever-surprising body of work seamlessly connects multiple American traditions. Harrison’s music may be founded on jazz but veers into classical, rock, country, and all manner of American roots music. Succinctly described by the New York Times as “protean… brilliant,” he is also an active film composer, having worked on the Oscar-nominated Traffic Stop and the Sundance awardee Southern Comfort.
A former student of Jimmy Wyble and Mick Goodrick, Harrison is the founder and director of the Alternative Guitar Summit, a yearly festival devoted to new and unusual guitar music. The festival has featured such artists as Fred Frith, Nels Cline, Bill Frisell, Julian Lage, and Pat Metheny, who has called the Summit “one of the most interesting and distinguished forums for guitar on the planet.”
Anthony Pirog
Washington, D.C.'s jazz and experimental music scenes wouldn't be quite where they are today without Anthony Pirog. The guitarist, composer and loops magician is a quiet but ubiquitous force on stages around his hometown and the world. With fearsome chops and a keen ear for odd beauty, Pirog has helped expand the possibilities of jazz, rock and experimentalism in a town long known for its straight-ahead tradition.
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Anthony's roots as a guitarist are in the work of D.C. guitar heroes Danny Gatton and Roy Buchanan, and their virtuosic technique that blended all styles of popular music.
He has taken and built upon those roots, working in straight and experimental jazz, improvisation and electronics/looping, and he somehow takes these styles, all of which he has mastered and makes them all work together and also makes them all his own.
KAKI KING
Dubbed by Rolling Stone as "a genre unto herself," Brooklyn, NY-based Kaki King has proven to be just that. Her career has taken her all over the world, sharing stages with Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters, contributing music to award-winning films (Sean Penn's Into The Wild), and performing at the Kennedy Center, the London Jazz Festival, and the Paris Les Femmes s'en Melent. Her explorations into the guitar and multimedia have led to the creation of groundbreaking work such as The Neck Is A Bridge To The Body, Modern Yesterdays, SEI, and her newest show for audiences of all ages, BUGS. Kaki continues to create, perform, and lend her musical voice to the forefront of contemporary music.
ARTISTS AT LARGE
ALLISON
MILLER
In sound, motion and beauty….so to lays the groundwork for truth. All that I am becomes a part of my own way of communication. In striving for a lifestyle unfettered by my own limitations, I am eternally grateful to have created honest music with some of the greatest artists of our time. It’s almost like I have to pinch myself sometimes to not forget how fortunate I am to have the love of my family, and the spirit to be open to what may appear to be right in front of me!! Just a very few of the artists I have had the great fortune to record and/or perform with include: Hot Tuna, Ahmad Jamal, Ted Dunbar, Michelle Shocked, Paul Simon, Dewey Redman, Frank Kimbrough, Dave Douglas, David Sancious, Mark Feldman, Karl Berger, Joe Mcphee, Julius Hemphill , Jay Anderson, Istvan Grenesco, Honi Coles, Percy Heath, Roswell Rudd, Phil Lesh, David Torn, Levon Helm, Bill Frisell, Fonda/Stevens group, Herb Robertson, Carlos Santana, Omar Tamez, Remi Alvarez, Dry Jack, Art Lande, John d’Earth, Bob Weir, Greg Allman, Marcel Monroe, Tony Levin, Garth Hudson, Jimmy Vivino, amongst many, many others.
JEROME
HARRIS
Jerome Harris has had a notable decades-long presence in the music world as an incisive stylist and a valued versatile collaborator on both guitar and bass guitar. Harris’s first major professional performing experience came as bass guitarist with iconic jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins in 1978; from 1988 to 1994 he was featured on guitar with Rollins. He has performed on six continents, working with Jack DeJohnette, David Krakauer, Bill Frisell, Paul Motian, Leni Stern, Martha Redbone, Ray Anderson, Julius Hemphill, Amina Claudine Myers, Ned Rothenberg, Oliver Lake, Joel Harrison, and many others in jazz and jazz-adjacent contexts.
Jerome Harris appears on over sixty recordings; his formative musical experiences include blues, folk, gospel, and a range of other American music genres. He has taught at Hampshire College, Lehman College (City University of New York) and William Paterson University. He studied at Harvard College (A.B. 1973, Social Relations) and New England Conservatory of Music (B.M. with honors, 1977, Jazz Guitar).
Jam Room Coordinators
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Kyle Esposito
Recognized as a genre-hopping guitarist, bassist and vocalist, the “wildly eclectic” (John Burdick) Esposito has performed and recorded with countless local, national and international artists spanning genres ranging from latin jazz to folk, funk to avant-garde, blues to americana. Most recently, he has co-produced and played on recordings by the cinematic instrumental outfit Nelson Esposito Quintana and the Memphis and Muscle Shoals-influenced Jay Collins and the Northern Resistance.
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Jeff Siegel
Siegel teaches Jazz drumming and jazz ensembles at The New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music, SUNY New Paltz as well as at Western Connecticut State University and Vassar College. He’s performed and/or recorded w/Sir Roland Hanna, Dave Douglas, John Medeski, John Scofield, Mose Allison, Jack DeJohnette, Levin Bros., Karl Berger, Kenny Burrell, South African Tribute Big Band, Feya Faku, & more. He endorses Canopus Drums, Beato Bags and Vic Firth Drum Sticks.
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Rich Syracuse
Rich Syracuse has been a mainstay on the New York area scene for more than four decades. He was the winner of the prestigious Congress Of Strings Award. Going on to receive Bachelor of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music in New York City. Rich performed with The Group for Contemporary Music under the Conductors Charles Wournin and Harvey Solberger, The Hartford Ballet and the New Jersey Lyric Opera co. Early Jazz groups include Pianist’s John Mehegan, Joey Calderazzo, Ted Rosenthal, and Bruce Barth. Rich had been the Bassist for Pianist Lee Shaw for over 22 years. He is the Professor for String and Electric Bass Studies. Rich has toured throughout Europe, South America and Southern Africa. As well as touring, Rich is an in demand Bassist throughout thenortheast region of the USA.
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Eric Parker
Eric Parker is a world class drummer, producer and composer. For the last 40 years he has toured the world and made countless records and drummed at sold out stadiums, theaters and concert halls.
Eric has played with many musical legends including; Joe Cocker, Steve Winwood, Bonnie Raitt, Lou Reed, Ian Hunter, John Sebastian and many others. Eric Parker grew up in a home permeated with music and art, and creativity. Following his father’s footsteps, he became a drummer whose second career is art.