Todd Wright,

An Ambassador of Jazz for western North Carolina, joined the Appalachian State University music faculty in 1990. As Director of Jazz Studies he has been responsible for conducting Jazz Ensembles I and II, teaching courses in jazz improvisation, jazz history, jazz piano, jazz tunes and coaching combos. He oversees the course of study for the Jazz Certification Program and in 1993, created the university’s Jazz Vocal Ensemble.

Along with the Unifour Jazz Ensemble he was chosen a winner of Downbeat Magazine’s Gold Award at Music Fest in Chicago and has performed at Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina. In addition to jazz festival participation Wright has performed for corporate and national events such as the United Way and the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. He has played for presidents and vice-presidents. Even performing at a celebration on an airplane at 37,000 feet (May ’07) can be added to his credit!

He is in demand as a saxophonist, jazz clinician, adjudicator and lecturer on jazz history. As a studio musician Wright can be heard on numerous projects of other recording artists. His own debut recording, Begonia, was released in 1995, and Christmas Time Is Here followed in 1998. In February 2001 Reflections, a duo collaboration with New York recording artist Frank Kimbrough at the piano, was released. The CD’s front cover included a picture of the then famous World Trade Center.

Todd has performed with international jazz greats Benny Golson, Clark Terry, Eddie Daniels, Wycliffe Gordon, Billy Taylor, Ingrid Jensen, the Marcus Roberts Trio and others. He has shared the bandstand with entertainers Joe Williams, Rita Moreno, the Fifth Dimension and Patti Page, and has opened for the world famous Dave Brubeck Quartet. His performance schedule has also taken him to the Caribbean, Mexico and several countries in Western Europe. He performs regularly with his jazz quartet and recently participated in jazz workshops in Frieburg, Germany.