Ensembles
Jazz Combo
The Jazz Combo is a university ensemble dedicated to the exploration of jazz improvisation in a small group setting. Students in the Jazz Combo are members of the university community who perform on a regular basis on campus as well as in professional engagements in the Oklahoma City metro area.
Jazz Orchestra
The Jazz Orchestra is OCU's premiere ensemble dedicated to the big band jazz tradition including Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Stan Kenton, Bob Brookmeyer and many others, in which students learn and perfect the techniques of playing in a large jazz ensemble. Auditions for jazz groups are open to all OCU students regardless of major. Improvisation experience is not required to audition.
Ensemble Placement Auditions
OCU Major Ensembles (Orchestra, Wind Bands, Choirs, Jazz) are open to music majors and non-major students alike.
Ensemble placement is dependent upon the results of ensemble placement auditions, which occur each semester in August and January. Please visit the Ensemble Placement page for more info or contact the Performance Manager, Francisco Venegas ([email protected]).
Jazz Faculty
Dr. Bernabe Jorge, III earned his DMA from the Eastman School of Music studying Trombone Performance and Literature with Mark Kellogg. Bernabe holds a Bachelor’s of Music Education and a Master’s of Music Education degree from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied trombone with the acclaimed Dr. Irvin Wagner, receiving the Outstanding Undergraduate Trombone Award three times. While at Eastman, Bernabe was the recipient of the Steve Witser Memorial Award for Excellence, a finalist in the concerto competition, received the prestigious performer’s certificate, and a Downbeat Award as a member of the Eastman Jazz Ensemble.
His performing resumé includes winning a substitute Bass Trombone Position with The Syracuse Orchestra and Rochester Symphony Orchestra, being the featured soloist for UMD’s Senior High Honor Band Festival, performing with the Cramer Choir at the International Trombone Festival, playing in the Rochester International Jazz Festival, performing with the Birch Creek Jazz Orchestra, recording with Achilles Liarmakopoulos, co-founding Photonic Brass, to name a few. He has had the opportunity to learn from amazing teachers and musicians. On top of his primary teachers, educators such as Larry Zalkind, John Rojak, and Gabe Rice have had a meaningful impact on his development.
He has previously taught at the University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Buffalo, Rochester Institute of Technology, Hochstein School, and Eastman Community Music School. Throughout these many jobs, Dr. Jorge has had the pleasure of coaching chamber ensembles, conducting university ensembles, and teaching applied lessons. During his time in Norman, Oklahoma, Dr. Jorge received his Kodály certification while completing his master’s degree and teaching general music at Jackson Elementary School.
Passionate about inspiring the next generation of musicians, music lovers, and music educators, Dr. Jorge is currently the Assistant Professor of Jazz Arts at Oklahoma City University. In his current position he is responsible for recruiting talented students, teaching music courses, coaching jazz ensembles, and teaching applied trombone lessons.
Tyler Shepherd has performed, recorded, and toured across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the United States. Formerly Principal Double Bass of the Welsh National Opera, he has appeared as Principal Bass with many orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (London), Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester (Norway), BBC Scottish Symphony and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Tyler has also performed with the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony and extensively with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Tyler served two seasons as Principal Bass of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera after his studies at Boston University, Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music and Walnut Hill School for the Arts. His primary teachers were Edwin Barker, Dennis Roy, and Steve Zeserman. During his time in Boston, he was a member of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and a Tanglewood Music Center fellow for two summers, where he was awarded the Maurice Schwartz Prize.
As a teacher he has been faculty at the University of Texas at Arlington, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Young Strings program. He has appeared worldwide in masterclasses at the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music, the Royal Scottish Conservatoire, Trinity-Laban Conservatoire of Music and Drama, as well as the University of Colorado Boulder, Texas Christian University, and James Madison University. Tyler was also a tutor at the Britten-Pears Festival Orchestra in Snape, England for two summers. His students have had successful careers, regularly performing with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, and Ft. Worth Symphony Orchestra, as well as in folk, musical theater, and jazz groups.
His recent chamber engagements include the Corbridge Chamber Music Festival in Northern England, the Fishguard Chamber Music Festival of Wales, and the Penarth Chamber Music Festival. He has appeared as a concerto soloist with the Chattanooga Symphony and the City of Cardiff Symphony Orchestra. Tyler has performed with artists such as Tan Dun, Fabio Luisi, Ann-Sophie Mutter, Bernard Haitink, Leonidas Kavakos, Bryn Terfel, Vadim Repin, Renée Fleming, Herbert Blomstedt, Midori, Lothar Koenigs, Thomas Hampson, Carlo Rizzi, Rinaldo Alessandrini, and Emanuel Ax.
Additionally, Tyler performs regularly on the bass guitar with the indie rock group The She, and as a frequent performer with Broadway Dallas. His wife is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and they have two daughters and two dogs.
