Antonio J. García is a performer, composer/arranger, producer, clinician, educator, and author in both instrumental and vocal genres and a December 2023 recipient of The Midwest Clinic's Medal of Honor. A Professor Emeritus and former Director of Jazz Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, he directed the Jazz Orchestra I, instructed various jazz courses, and founded a B.A. Music Business Emphasis (for which he initially served as Coordinator), he is a past nominee for CASE U.S. Professor of the Year and is the recipient of Northern Illinois University's 1992 Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, the Illinois Music Educators Association's 2001 Distinguished Service Award, and the VCU School of the Arts' 2015 Faculty Award of Excellence. He is an alumnus of the Eastman School of Music and of Loyola University of the South. His newest book, Jazz Improvisation: Practical Approaches to Grading (Meredith Music), explores avenues for creating structures that correspond to course objectives. His book Cutting the Changes: Jazz Improvisation via Key Centers (Kjos Music) offers musicians of all ages the opportunity to improvise over standard tunes using just their major scales.

Mr. García has performed as trombonist, bass trombonist, or pianist with 70 major artists including Ella Fitzgerald, George Shearing, Mel Tormé, Billy Eckstine, Doc Severinsen, Louie Bellson, Dave Brubeck, and Phil Collins and at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Royal Festival Hall, and the Montreux, Nice, North Sea, Pori (Finland), New Orleans, and Chicago Jazz Festivals. A Conn-Selmer clinician/soloist and avid scat-singer, he has received grants from Meet The Composer, the Thelonious Monk Institute, The Commission Project, the Council for Basic Education, and others. He is Past Associate Jazz Editor for the International Trombone Association Journal, Past Editor of the International Association for Jazz Education Jazz Education Journal, Past President of IAJE-IL, Board Secretary of The Midwest Clinic, a Past Advisory Board Member of the Brubeck Institute, previously a Board member of the Illinois Coalition for Music Education, and is Co-Editor/Contributing Author of Teaching Jazz: A Course of Study. He served as a Network Expert (for Improvisation Materials) for the Jazz Education Network. His articles have been widely published; and his compositions have been published by Kjos, Hal Leonard, Kendor, Doug Beach, ejazzlines, Walrus, UNC Jazz Press, Three-Two Music, and his own company. García is also the subject of an extensive interview within Bonanza: Insights and Wisdom from Professional Jazz Trombonists (Advance Music) and authored a chapter within Rehearsing The Jazz Band and The Jazzer’s Cookbook (Meredith Music). He currently resides in his native New Orleans. Visit his website at www.garciamusic.com

Photo © David Aleman