Ron Rudkin directs the UNCSA jazz ensemble, jazz program and teaches music theory. In addition to maintaining an active performing career on saxophone, clarinet and flute with his own jazz groups and dance band, Rudkin plays clarinet in the Winston-Salem Symphony and has appeared with the North Carolina, Greensboro, Charlotte and Western Piedmont symphonies.
An experienced band leader and arranger, he has led professional groups in performance with numerous celebrities from the worlds of entertainment, pop and jazz. His pops arrangements and compositions for symphony orchestra featuring solo saxophone or saxophone quartet have been performed by regional orchestras as well as orchestras around the United States and abroad.
In the Jazz Ensemble I believe it is important to emphasize performance skills in a variety of jazz-oriented musical styles and that versatility is key.
Credentials
- Performed with the orchestras of Glenn Miller, Peter Duchin and Les and Larry Elgart; the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra; the Camel City Jazz Orchestra; the Atlantic Jazz Orchestra; and his own big band, the Ron Rudkin Orchestra
- Directed the UNCSA Jazz Ensemble in concert at jazz festivals, concert halls and events across the Southeast
- Conducts workshops in jazz improvisation and jazz ensemble performance at public schools and elsewhere across North Carolina
- Led student jazz combos on summer tours in Europe as part of UNCSA's former International Music Program, and for more than a decade directed all-star UNCSA alumni jazz groups and the UNCSA Jazz Ensemble at Manteo, North Carolina, as part of the school's summer festival series
Career Highlights
- Toured and performed with legendary jazz drummer Max Roach and drummer T.S. Monk Jr. in public schools across North Carolina as part of an educational program sponsored by the Thelonious Monk Institute
- For more than a decade, has directed all-star UNCSA alumni jazz groups and the UNCSA Jazz Ensemble at Manteo, North Carolina, as part of a summer festival series
Awards, Recognitions and Honors
- Distinguished Alumnus Award, East Carolina University
- Jazz Composer Fellowship grant from North Carolina Arts Council
Organizations
- International Association for Jazz Education
- Jazz Education Network
Education
M.M.University of Michigan
B.M.East Carolina University
