“Creating and Expanding Community” might be the best way to describe saxophonist Jeff Antoniuk’s laser-like focus in his three-decade long career. Both a world class performer and recording artist, and a national leader in jazz education, Jeff is driven by the desire to bring musicians, students and audiences together. He has led discussions on art and education at the White House, busked for loose change with sax legend Jeff Coffin, and toured Siberia in February. And we’re just getting started . . .
Born in Edmonton, Canada, Antoniuk studied at the prestigious University of North Texas, where he earned both a BM and a Masters Degree in Jazz Performance and Ethnomusicology. Living in Nigeria, Africa as a child, and traveling the world as a musician, Antoniuk became enthralled with the questions of how we learn, what is innate, and what inspires us to create. His studies, research and insights have led to a rare ability as a musical coach and guide. Jeff has developed and served as Artistic Director on over 50 different workshops on specific jazz topics, and conducted over 2500 jazz masterclasses in the last 15 years.
As a performer and composer, Antoniuk is heralded for his “considerable chops” (Jazz Times Magazine) and “a creative spark that never lets up,” (Rochester City Paper). His recordings with Jeff Antoniuk & The Jazz Update and The MARS 4-tet have all received critical praise, with appearances on the Jazz Top 40 charts. In 2016, Antoniuk was tapped by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to be the featured soloist for their world premier performances of “A Swingin’ Nutcracker,” the first full jazz realization of Tchaikovsky’s 25 movement ballet.
Also a busy sideman, Jeff Antoniuk has played with or led bands with such luminaries as fellow saxophonists Ralph Bowen and Walt Weiskopf, guitarists Tim Miller and Steve Rochiniski, drummers Sherrie Maricle and Warren Wolf, bassists Jimmy Haslip and Marcus Miller, and trumpet players Tim Hagans and Ingrid Jensen.
His popular You Tube channel Jeff Antoniuk - Educator, and his Face Book page archive numerous educational and “behind the scenes” videos, which have been viewed many tens of thousands of times by his dedicated followers. New videos, always free, appear weekly. In past year, Jeff served as an adjunct faculty member at Towson University, as a Master Teaching Artist at Washington Performing Arts for 20 years, and as the Artistic Director of inDepth Jazz Clinics, Jazz Band Masterclass, and the Maryland Summer Jazz adult jazz camp. He has published in numerous magazines and with Alfred Publishing, and is an Eastman Saxophones Artist.
Antoniuk’s newest project aims for nothing less than to connect and guide the wildly underserved adult amateur jazz community around North America. Through Jazz Teacher Training, Antoniuk is committed to training jazz professionals (players, teachers, professors, recording artists) how to expand and hone their view of education and the music industry. Jeff’s vision is to connect jazz professionals with adult amateurs, and create a blue ocean of mutual opportunity, creativity and rapport.
