Jackson Churchill

Jackson Churchill currently serves as Visiting Instructor and Jazz Ensembles Director at Gustavus Adolphus College. In this role, he directs the Jazz Lab Collective and the Gustavus Jazz Ensemble, the college’s flagship and touring jazz band. He is also the instructor for “America’s Music,” a course grounded in theoretical approaches from the disciplines of musicology and ethnomusicology. 

Prior to joining the Gustavus faculty, Professor Churchill was a band director at Valley High School in West Des Moines, IA, where during his tenure, the program received numerous distinctions from such organizations as Bands of America, the Iowa Jazz Championships, and the National Band Association. While living in Iowa, he also maintained an active performance schedule, winning three prominent jazz trombone contests: the J.J. Johnson Jazz Trombone Competition (International Trombone Association); the National Solo Jazz Competition (American Trombone Workshop); and the Jazz Trombone Day Competition (Yamaha/University of North Texas). Equally at home as a classical musician, Professor Churchill was an alternate finalist for the National Tenor Trombone Solo Competition (American Trombone Workshop).  

Professor Churchill’s debut album, “On Your Mark,” features original jazz compositions and arrangements inspired by his experiences as a full time educator and performer. He was the proud recipient of the “Next Generation” award from the Des Moines Community Jazz Center, and he was honored with the “Young Director” award by the Iowa Bandmasters Association. Professor Churchill’s performance credits include the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Christian McBride’s JAS Academy Big Band, the University of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band, the Nick Finzer Jazz Orchestra, the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, and the Broadway tour of “The Wiz.” 

To learn more, visit jacksonchurchill.com.