Carnegie Hall

Thomas Cabaniss (b. 1962) is a composer and educator born in Charleston, South Carolina. Residing in New York City, Cabaniss teaches at The Juilliard School and leads arts education programs throughout the city. His music ranges from chamber music to operas and film scores. He is a creative adviser for Carnegie Hall’s Link Up program, and helped launch Carnegie Hall’s Lullaby Project, which helps new and expecting parents and caregivers write songs for their children. Cabaniss uses his music to encourage collaboration and help institutions support partnerships between artists and communities.

Reginald Thomas (b. 1965) is a jazz pianist, organist, educator, and composer. Thomas can be seen fronting his own groups (the Mardra/Reggie Thomas Ensemble and a trio for organ, guitar, and drums) on piano and Hammond organ and as a sideman with great artists including Hamiet Bluiett, Ann Hampton Callaway, and the Carl Allen / Rodney Whitaker Ensemble. He often performs with the legendary Count Basie Orchestra and as accompanist for the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and in Los Angeles. He appears as a guest artist at collegiate jazz festivals around the country and has performed internationally. Thomas currently leads the Northern Illinois University School of Music’s jazz studies program. He has also served on several summer jazz faculties across the US and abroad. He remains an active clinician and adjudicator, and has directed all-state jazz bands, combos, and jazz choirs around the US.

Chris Washburne (b. 1963) is a trombonist, composer, author, and professor. He has performed on more than 150 recordings, winning two Grammy Awards and receiving seven Grammy nominations. He is the leader of the highly acclaimed Latin jazz groups SYOTOS and Rags and Roots Jazz Band. He is a professor at Columbia University, chair of the Music Department, and the founder of Columbia’s Louis Armstrong Jazz Performance Program. Washburne has published numerous articles on jazz, Latin jazz, and salsa. His books include Bad Music: The Music We Love to Hate (Routledge, 2004), Sounding Salsa: Performing Latin Music in New York City (Temple University Press, 2008), and Latin Jazz: The Other Jazz (Oxford University Press, 2020). He holds a PhD from Columbia University and received an honorary doctorate from St. Edward’s University.