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PhD in Jazz Studies

The PhD Concentration in Jazz Studies at the University of Pittsburgh produces jazz scholars and academic leaders through rigorous training in jazz research, composition, and performance. The curriculum is both demanding and yet flexible enough to accommodate individual skills and interests, and prepares degree recipients to enter the academic marketplace with the best available preparation for researching, publishing, teaching, and leading programs in Jazz Studies. Jazz Studies combines elements of ethnomusicology, musicology, performance, composition, and theory of various styles of jazz music.

The University of Pittsburgh is recognized as one of the premier Jazz programs in the country. Each year Pitt hosts the annual Jazz Seminar and Concert, which showcases the world's foremost jazz performers in a week-long series of free educational seminars culminating in an all-star concert. Davis retired from Pitt in 2013.

Pitt is also home to the University of Pittsburgh-Sonny Rollins International Jazz Archives, which houses important original manuscripts, recordings and related memorabilia. The Jazz Archives also include The International Academy of Jazz Hall of Fame, which each year inducts a new Jazz great into the Academy. Fine out more about Pitt's Jazz Collection.

The William R. Robinson Recording Studio is a state-of-the-art multi-track digital recording facility is both studio and classroom, offering students hands on experience in the latest recording techniques and technology.

Find out more about Jazz Studies at Pitt.

Jazz Studies Faculty

Aaron J. Johnson, Interim Direcor of Jazz Studies, is a historical musicologist and Associate Professor of Music at the University of Pittsburgh.  He is an accomplished jazz musician who has performed and recorded on the trombone, bass trombone, tuba, and bass clarinet with such outstanding musicians as Reggie Workman, Charles Tolliver, Steve Turre, Frank Foster, Oliver Lake, Howard Johnson, Muhal Richard Abrams, Jimmy Heath, Wallace Roney, and Wynton Marsalis, as well as Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, and Jay-Z. Dr. Johnson's research interests include music and communications media, the structure of the music business, music and technology, film music, funk, and music information retrieval (MIR). He is in the process of writing a book on jazz and radio in the United States.

Michael C. Heller is an ethnomusicologist, Associate Professor of Music and Interim Chair of the Music Department. His research focuses on the post-60s jazz avant garde, musician-organized collectives, sound studies, and archival theory. In 2016, his first monograph Loft Jazz: Improvising New York in the 1970s (University of California Press) received the H. Earle Johnson Publication Subvention from the Society for American Music. The study examines issues of musician agency and organizing strategies amid a period of disruptive urban post-war restructuring in New York City. His second book Just Beyond Listening: Essays of Sonic Encounter (University of California Press, 2023) is a sound studies project that considers a wide range of sonic experiences that complicate standard accounts of aurality. Heller is also the founding editor of Jazz and Culture, Pitt's internationally renowned journal of interdisciplinary jazz scholarship. 

Yoko Suzuki is a Teaching Associate Professor at the University of Pittsburgh. Her long-term research explores the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality in jazz performance through the lenses of feminist theories. Other projects include popular music and DJ culture in Japan, performance practices of the Black church, and the music of Geri Allen. She aspires in her research to illuminate underrecognized musicians and their work, addressing the issues of race, gender, and sexuality to eradicate social injustice. In addition to teaching and research, Dr. Suzuki maintains an active performance career in the Pittsburgh jazz scene. 

Come and Work With Us

Search now open: JAZZ STUDIES ARTISTIC DIRECTOR 

The Department of Music of the University of Pittsburgh invites applications from candidates with exceptional ability for the William S. Dietrich II Endowed Chair in Jazz Studies beginning September 1, 2024, pending budgetary approval. The appointment will be made at the level of Associate Professor or higher, with tenure.

Title: William S. Dietrich II Endowed Chair in Jazz Studies and Artistic Director of Jazz Studies

Qualifications: International reputation of outstanding accomplishment in jazz performance, recording, composition/arranging; record of excellence in teaching jazz performance, scholarship, and related subjects; potential for distinguished leadership in the field of jazz studies; interest in working with colleagues in the University and the wider community; Master’s or higher degree in music. 

Duties: Work with other tenured jazz faculty to oversee and develop long-term visions for the Jazz Studies undergraduate and graduate programs; lead public programming and community outreach efforts, including the annual Jazz Seminar and Concert Week; teach courses on topics related to jazz performance and scholarship; maintain an international profile and participate actively in the profession. Teaching load: 1:1.

We seek a colleague with a special combination of skills as a dedicated musician, teacher, and visionary leader who will help strengthen our Jazz Studies activities, work closely with other members of our faculty, and represent our program within the university and the wider community. We are particularly seeking a collaborative artist colleague to oversee public programming and community outreach efforts, and to mentor student artists and scholars at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The individual hired will work closely with existing facets of the jazz program at Pitt, which offers a rich array of academic and artistic opportunities. These include the B.A. and Ph.D. degree tracks; the annual Pitt Jazz Seminar and Concert; community outreach programs including activities at the Hill District Community Engagement Center; the journal Jazz and Culture; jazz archives including the Pitt Jazz, Erroll Garner, Sam Rivers, and Dave Burrell Collections; International Jazz Hall of Fame; and William Robinson Recording Studio.

The Department of Music offers the Bachelor of Arts degree in a liberal arts curriculum and the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees with concentrations in Composition and Theory, Ethnomusicology, Musicology, and Jazz Studies—the nation’s only Ph.D. in jazz research and performance. Further information is available at the Department’s Website: http://www.music.pitt.edu/.

Candidates should submit a letter of application; a curriculum vitae; three letters of reference; a diversity statement; and two samples of their work. To submit work samples, the candidate should include a link in one of the submitted documents, or as a separate PDF, to a cloud-storage service such as Google Drive or SoundCloud, where the materials are stored (depending on the candidate, this may include commercially released recordings, notated scores of original compositions or arrangements, published writings, or other representative work samples). 

In order to ensure full consideration, applications must be received by October 15, 2023. 

To submit work samples, the candidate should include a link in one of the submitted documents, or as a separate PDF, to a cloud-storage service such as Google Drive or SoundCloud, where the materials are stored (depending on the candidate, this may include commercially released recordings, notated scores of original compositions or arrangements, published writings, or other representative work samples). 

The University of Pittsburgh is committed to championing all aspects of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within our community. This commitment is a fundamental value of the University and is crucial in helping us advance our mission, which includes attracting and retaining diverse workforces. We will continue to create and maintain an environment that allows individuals to discover, belong, contribute, and grow, while honoring the experiences, perspectives, and unique identities of all.

The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and values equality of opportunity, human dignity and diversity. EOE, including disability/vets. 

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