Comprised of world-class musicians based in Nashville, Tennessee, Ryan Middagh and his Jazz Orchestra seek to show that Music City is a great home for the large jazz ensemble.

The members of Middagh’s ensemble include top-call studio musicians, touring artists, music educators, and fellow composers and arrangers.  Ryan, a producer, saxophonist, composer, arranger and educator is Director of Jazz Studies at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music; a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Middagh has called Nashville home since 2007.

The jazz orchestra founded in early 2018 is a life-long dream as well as a vehicle for Middagh’s compositions and arrangements.  The ensemble has collaborated with special guests including Keb’ Mo’ and Wycliffe Gordon and works to feature the artists in the ensemble, such as saxophonists Jeff Coffin and Don Aliquo, and vocalist Bethany Merritt.

The mission of the Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra is to create high quality music, collaborate within and across musical genres, and educate our community about the diverse music called jazz.