Experience Jazz
Artistic Director
Dawn Clement
Dawn Clement is a joyful and formidable force in the landscape of modern creative music. For over two decades, Clement has served as both a torchbearer of the jazz tradition and a trailblazer in fresh sonic explorations. “In all this world of jazz, there are very few individual voices, no matter what the instrument, but Dawn has come up with a voice that’s unique…” says legendary jazz trombonist Julian Priester.
Clement’s original music is an expansive collection that features her distinctive musical voice across genres, styles, and settings. Her six albums as a leader showcase her impressive range—from master of the jazz piano trio to avant-garde improviser to expressive songwriter and vocalist who effortlessly bridges jazz, indie, and alternative sounds. DownBeat writes, “The revelation is Dawn Clement’s piano, always ready with the lyricism or structure the moment needs.”
As a collaborator, Clement shines. She has performed with jazz luminaries including Jane Ira Bloom, Ron Miles, René Marie, and Julian Priester, and recorded with säje on their GRAMMYnominated debut album, touring internationally with the ensemble.
Clement has been busy recording of late with several exciting projects including: a self-released trio project with guitarist Steve Kovalcheck and bassist Jon Hamar (September, '24), and Sound & Fury, Esthesis Quartet’s latest release, featuring Guitarist Bill Frisell (May ’25, *Sunnyside records), and her most recent release, Delight with legendary bassist Buster Williams and drummer Matt Wilson (May ’25, Origin records).
Delight is a “legacy trio” project recorded at the storied Maggie’s Farm in Pennsylvania. Born from both serendipity and intention, Delight captures a spirit of connection, lineage, and joy, its title taken from Buster’s closing words of the session: “Matthew, this has been a delight.”
Clement also continues to expand her compositional and collaborative world with tribute to the music of Blossom Dearie, featuring Jeff Hamilton, John Clayton, and Steve Kovalcheck. This is an evocative new project that explores renewal, presence, and the art of transformation and will make it’s appearance Spring of 2026.
In addition to her performing and recording career, Clement is a dedicated educator and mentor. She serves as Associate Professor and Area Coordinator of Jazz and American Improvised Music at Metropolitan State University of Denver, and is a sought-after guest artist and clinician for festivals and workshops across the country. In 2025, she was appointed Artistic Director of Centrum’s Jazz Port Townsend Workshop and Festival, succeeding the legendary John Clayton.
Clement holds a Bachelor of Music from Cornish College of the Arts and a Master of Fine Arts in Music Composition from Vermont College of the Arts. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now makes her home in Denver, Colorado, while maintaining strong ties to both the Seattle and Denver music communities. She continues to balance the ever-evolving dance of teaching, composing, performing, and parenting—remaining, above all, a devoted student of sound, spirit, and connection.
Artist Faculty
2026 Artist Faculty
Adam Benjamin
About
Piano Adam Benjamin is a Grammy-nominated and critically acclaimed pianist, keyboardist, composer and writer based in New Orleans. Recognized as a “Rising Star in Jazz” in DownBeat magazine’s critic’s and reader’s polls for six years running, his unmistakable sound crosses stylistic boundaries and challenges traditional notions of jazz. Benjamin maintains a humble and humorous approach that connects him with his audiences worldwide. He is a founding member of Kneebody, an electric quintet widely recognized as one of the most unique ensembles in jazz today. Kneebody’s debut recording as Concord Records recording artists, titled “The Line,” was released in September 2013. Kneebody’s 2009 Grammy-nominated release, “12 Songs of Charles Ives,” is a radical reinvention of the songs of Charles Ives in collaboration with singer Theo Bleckmann (Winter and Winter, 2009). “You Can Have Your Moment” (Winter and Winter, 2010) is the fourth full-length album from the “spontaneous and exciting” (DownBeat) “freakishly talented quintet” (All About Jazz). Benjamin’s latest solo piano album, “Alphabets and Consequences” (f.Boo Records, 2010) is a unique series of improvised miniatures that transform familiar jazz and folk melodies into quirky impressionists etudes bursting with both humor and gravity. This follows “Long Gone” (Kind of Blue, 2008) and his notorious 2007 self-released “It’s a Standard, Standard, Standard, Standard World,” which captures 37 jazz standards through the lens of Garageband 1.0 technology. Dave Douglas noted this unprecedented work as a “majestic tour de force” and Ralph Alessi called it “the perfect blend of enjoyable music and side-splitting laughter.” He has toured and recorded extensively with Dave Douglas’ electric band, Keystone, including 2010 world tours debuting Spark of Being, a collaborative work with filmmaker Bill Morrison. Benjamin’s contribution is central to the Keystone albums Live in Sweden (Greenleaf, 2006) and Moonshine (Greenleaf, 2008). In 2011, he saw the debut release from his introspective Americana project “Red Oak Duo” (f.boo Music, 2011). Another new project, Go Shlomo! (F.boo Music, 2013) combines monastic and hippodromic influences in a avant-Sephardic jazz noir escapade. Benjamin has also performed, collaborated and toured with artists as varied as Jimmy Chamberlin Complex, So Percussion, Joshua Redman and Beck, and has contributed to many film scores, including co-writing the score to John Krasinski’s 2009 adaptation of David Foster Wallace’s “Brief Interviews With Hideous Men.” He has performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and North Sea Jazz Festival and has been a guest lecturer and faculty at Stanford University, the Banff International Jazz Workshop, CalArts, University of Southern California and the School for Improvisational Music. In 2013, Adam was appointed as professor of the practice of jazz studies at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Read MoreAllison Miller
Faculty
Anat Cohen
Faculty
Ben Wendel
Faculty
Christine Jensen
Faculty, Centrum All Star Big Band Director
Dominique Eade
Faculty
Eric Verlinde
Vocal Accompanist
George Cables
Faculty
Grace Kaste
Bass
About
Grace Kaste is from Seattle, Washington. She has played music for most of her life, beginning with classical piano before picking up the double bass in middle school. Jazz took over her life once she began studying with bassist Chuck Deardorf, as well as playing in the Roosevelt Jazz Band under the direction of Scott Brown. She was a 2022 YoungArts Finalist.
Read MoreJay Thomas
Faculty
John Hansen
Vocal Accompaniment
Kelby MacNayr
Vocal Accompanist
Liany Mateo
Faculty
Mark Taylor
Faculty
Martin Wind
Faculty
About
Bassist and composer Martin Wind was born in Flensburg, Germany, in 1968 and moved to New York in 1996 to study at New York University (NYU) on a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
Read MoreMatt Wilson
Faculty
Michael Glynn
Faculty
Michael Mayo
Faculty
Pat Bianchi
Faculty
Quincy Davis
Faculty
Rufus Reid
Faculty
Sara Caswell
Faculty
Shane Endsley
Faculty
Steve Kovalcheck
Faculty
Terell Stafford
Faculty
Trevor Ford
Vocal Accompanist
Wycliffe Gordon
Faculty
Workshop
Participants with a wide range of abilities and experience attend Jazz Port Townsend each year. We have ensembles and classes to fit seasoned professionals, beginning improvisers, and everyone in between. Please note that even the beginning classes are designed for people who already have a fair degree of skill with their instrument or voice. If you are a high school student (or older) that has been playing jazz from 5th or 6th grade, you will fit in just fine. Full-time dorm counselors are on duty all week for participants under 18, and dorms are assigned according to age and gender.
Throughout the week of the workshop, every participant will be coached with either the instrumental combo they are placed in, or with the vocal faculty and provided rhythm trios. Combo placements will be emailed to participants by Monday July 20.
Also featured, Tuesday through Friday, are master classes for each instrumental group and vocalists. All the faculty members for each category of instruments will meet for specific teaching of their instrument.
Special Topics classes, presented by faculty members, will feature subjects that are of special interest or expertise to them.
Performances, Thursday through Saturday, are scheduled for all instrumentalists with their combo, and for vocalists at their showcase concert. The performance schedule will be in the workshop booklet provided at check-in.
Other activities include several hosted jam sessions, and a Reading Big Band that will perform on Friday. A notice will be sent for those interested in applying for the Reading Band.
The four-day Jazz Port Townsend Festival will top things off grandly with faculty performances in both Club settings on campus Wednesday and Thursday, and Mainstage shows in the McCurdy Pavilion Friday and Saturday.
For more information, contact Program Manager Gwen Franz: gfranz@stage.centrum.org, (360) 385-3102 x109
Schedule
2026 Schedule
Monday 4:00-11:00 PM
Check in, rental instrument checkout, live auditions, mandatory meeting for under 18-year-olds, Welcome and Orientation meeting, jamming.
Tuesday through Thursday 8:00 AM-11:00 PM
Breakfast, combo and vocal coaching, music theory and Special Topic classes.
Lunch, Master Classes (per instrument), combo and vocal coaching, Faculty Presents concerts.
Dinner, Reading Big Band and/or jamming, Wednesday and Thursday Jazz in the Clubs.
Friday 8:00 AM-11:00 PM
Breakfast, combo and vocal coaching, music theory and Special Topics classes.
Lunch, vocal and combo performances, Special Topics.
Dinner, Mainstage concert.
Saturday 8:00 AM-11:00 PM
Breakfast, Special Topics, combo performances.
Lunch, Mainstage concert.
Dinner, combo performances, Mainstage concert.
Sunday 8:00-11:00 AM
Breakfast, final rental instrument return, 9:00 AM SeaTac shuttle departs, checkout.
Audition
This year, the deadline for auditions is May 25, 2026. Acceptance emails will be sent after May 27. If there are still spaces left in any instrument/vocal category, the audition deadline could be extended. Note that piano and drum categories always fill up so be sure to get your audition in before the deadline. Submitting your audition does not guarantee your acceptance into the workshop. Your registration deposit will be fully refunded if you are not accepted.
To submit your audition, first register for the workshop. You will receive within a week an email with instructions on how to submit your audition materials through the Submittable application.
Audition Packets
This link will take you to a folder where you will find all the audition requirements for Instrumental and Vocal auditions. For reference, concert charts can be found here, as well as “Musical Examples” of scales and arpeggios. Optional charts for advanced placement can be found here.
Video recordings are encouraged. Audition recordings need to be in MP3 format. If you don’t have a digital recorder or an app such as Audacity on your phone that can make MP3 recordings, Zamzar.com (or pdfhouse.com) is a website that can easily translate your files into MP3’s for free.
Costs
Centrum has a variety of ways to be able to attend our workshops even if you’re on a budget. Consider applying for a scholarship or a work-trade opportunity as you register. John Clayton’s Transcription Project is another way to reduce your tuition costs.
Tuition: $995
Dorm: $440
Meals: breakfast/lunch/dinner: $420
Meals: lunch/dinner: $320
Deposit: $300
Our new food service provider is locally based Planted. Planted offers nourishing plant-based meals and ingredients that are locally sourced from the Olympic Peninsula. For more info on Planted, visit https://www.plantedporttownsend.com/.
The deadline for scholarship and work trade applications is May 11, 2026. Applications received after that date will be considered on a rolling basis if space and funds remain.
The last day to modify registration, such as cancelling housing, etc., is June 2, 2026.
The paid-in-full deadline is June 2, 2026.
Cancellation/Refund Policy
A $300 deposit ($50 for scholarship applicants) is required to register. This deposit is non-refundable, with two exceptions: 1) You've applied for financial aid and are unable to attend because we cannot award your full request, or 2) your audition is not accepted, in which case you will receive a full refund. No refunds of any kind are available after June 2, 2026.
Transcription Challenge
Ends on Mon, May 4, 2026, 11:59 PM
From Dawn Clement, Artistic Director:
Dear 2026 Centrum Jazz Participants,
I’m thrilled and honored to continue the transcription challenge that John Clayton created. This tradition has been central to Jazz Port Townsend, and I’m delighted to offer an opportunity that will not only prepare you for an unforgettable week but also reward your hard work in a meaningful way.
Centrum is giving up to ten participants a chance to earn scholarships for transcribing some jazz!
Here's how it works:
- Transcribe 5 pieces from this list, and you'll receive a $200 tuition scholarship.
- Complete 3 more, and you'll earn an additional $125.
- That's a guaranteed $325 in scholarship funds simply by engaging in one of the most invaluable exercises a musician can undertake—internalizing great solos!
And there’s more! If you transcribe 8 songs, you'll automatically be entered into a lottery for a full scholarship, which means you could join us without paying a penny in tuition.
I’m thrilled and honored to continue the transcription challenge that John Clayton created. This tradition has been central to Jazz Port Townsend, and I’m delighted to offer an opportunity that will not only prepare you for an unforgettable week but also reward your hard work in a meaningful way.
Centrum is giving up to ten participants a chance to earn scholarships for transcribing some jazz!
INSTRUMENTS
Instruments
Pianos: Centrum provides high quality digital or acoustic pianos in every rehearsal room and performance venue. All other instrumentalists will need to bring their own or rent whatever they need to make music, including amps, cymbals, and music stands.
Basses: can be rented at Kennelly Keys Music and will be delivered to Centrum. Contact David Mercado at 425-771-7020 or dm@kennellykeysmusic.com for details.
Drums: Centrum has several drum sets available for rent for $150. You can request one of these when you apply online. Or, Kennelly Keys Music has drum sets for rent that will be delivered to Centrum. See above contact information above for David Mercado.
Crossroads Music in Port Townsend also has rentals. A few drum sets, one set of cymbals, acoustic jazz guitars, guitar and bass amps are available, and they also deliver to Centrum. Contact Crossroads Music at 360-385-1471 or info@crossroads-music.com for details.
FAQ
Scholarships
If the full tuition price is a significant financial challenge for you, please select the scholarship/work-trade option when you register. Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served, and as-needed basis. Please note that except in rare cases, scholarships are applied to tuition only. Centrum requires a $50 deposit for scholarship applications. Consider earning money off your tuition with the John Clayton Transcription Challenge! See tab in menu for more information.
Room & Board
Check in for the dorms is at 4:00 PM Monday, July 20. Check out is at 11:00 AM Sunday, July 26. Meals are served at Fort Worden Commons. The first meal is dinner on Monday, July 20; the last meal is breakfast on Sunday July 26.
Transportation to and from Port Townsend
You have an option when you register on Cvent to select either a one-way or round-trip shuttle service to/from Port Townsend/SeaTac airport. The fee is $65 one-way and $130 round-trip. The shuttle will leave SeaTac by 2pm on Monday, July 20, and 9am from Port Townsend on Sunday, July 26. The travel time from SeaTac to Port Townsend is a good two hours so please keep that in mind when scheduling flights. The last date to book or change shuttle reservations is June 15.
The Rocket is a local airport shuttle service that you can book independently if that works better for your travel needs. Please note that Centrum is not responsible for transportation booked on the Rocket, and we cannot make those reservations for you. Please visit their website for more information.
Performances
Jazz in the Clubs
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Three Fort Worden venues
8:00 – 11:00 p.m.
Thursday July 23, 2026
Four Fort Worden venues
8:00 – 11:00 p.m.
Mainstage Concert
Friday, July 24, 2026
7:00 p.m.
Mainstage Concert
Saturday, July 25, 2026
1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Mainstage Concert
Saturday, July 25, 2026
6:00 – 8:30 p.m.
SPECIAL FEATURE VIDEO
Centrum Stories: Connected by Community featuring DeAndre Deener
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBxbJXMPGps
For his first year at Jazz Port Townsend, DeAndre Deener came ready to learn from the best. Surrounded by other hungry musicians, he found more than a workshop — he found community. A place where creativity flows freely, and every note carries a lesson.
FEATURING: DeAndre “Dre” Deener, Ronnie Elliott, Gabriel Gravagno, Shane Endsley, Terell Stafford, Matt Wilson, Steve Kovalcheck, Ivan Malespin, Pat Bianchi
PRODUCED BY: Poetic Future
Past Artist Faculty
Allison Miller
Faculty
Anisha Rush
Faculty
Ben Allison
Faculty
Ben Wendel
Faculty
Bruce Forman
Faculty
Buster Williams
Faculty
Camila Meza
Faculty
Chris Symer
Vocal Accompanist
Chuck Easton
Vocal Accompanist & Music Theory
Dan Balmer
Faculty
About
From coffee house gigs at fifteen to chart-topping success with the Tom Grant Band in the 90s, world tours with two-time Grammy Award winner Diane Schuur and contemporary jam-bands, Dan Balmer brings fire and heart every time he plays the guitar. His playing spans nearly one hundred CDs including twelve as a leader from which his original works have appeared internationally in television, film and radio.
Read MoreDavid Sanchez
Faculty
About
Latin Grammy Award winner David Sánchez is being hailed as “the most profound young tenor saxophonist working today. In a review, world- renown jazz critic Howard Reich saluted the young bandleader saying, “Technically, tonally and creatively, he seems to have it all. His sound is never less than plush, his pitch is unerring, his rapid-fire playing is ravishing in its combination of speed, accuracy and utter evenness of tone.” Such is the acclaim and respect that Sánchez has engendered from critics, music lovers and fellow artists throughout the world as he continues to push the frontiers of mainstream jazz to incorporate a compelling and rich array of Latin and Afro-Caribbean influences, while remaining true to the tenets of the jazz genre.
Read MoreDawn Clement
Artistic Director, Jazz Port Townsend
Eric Verlinde
Vocal Accompanist
Gary Hobbs
Vocal Accompaniment
Gary Smulyan
Faculty
George Cables
Faculty
George Colligan
Faculty
Gerald Clayton
Faculty
Helen Sung
Faculty
Ignacio Berroa
Faculty
Ivan Malespin
Faculty
Jay Thomas
Faculty
Jeff Hamilton
Faculty
Jeff Lederer
Faculty
About
Jeff Lederer is a Saxophonist/clarinetist/composer who has been included in the Downbeat Critics’ and Readers’ poll each year since 2014. He leads ensembles including the “Shakers n’ Bakers”, “Sunwatcher Quartet” and “Brooklyn Blowhards” and is the founder and director of the Visionary Youth Orchestra. Mr. Lederer also plays in the groups of Matt Wilson, Bobby Sanabria, Allison Miller, Jimmy Bosch and many others. Lederer was named as a “Musician to Watch in 2017” by JazzWise magazine in London and has appeared in the North Sea, Molde, Monterey, Chicago, Earshot Seattle, Azores and Guimaraes Jazz festivals where he was the 2017 artist-in-residence. Lederer is currently serving as Director of Jazz Studies and professor of Jazz Saxophone at Long Island University.
Read MoreJeremy Dutton
Faculty
Jiggs Whigham
Faculty
John Clayton
Former Artistic Director, Jazz Port Townsend
John Hansen
Vocal Accompaniment
Johnaye Kendrick
Faculty
Katie Thiroux
Faculty
Kelby MacNayr
Vocal Accompanist
Kweku Sumbry
Faculty
Lewis Nash
Faculty
About
Lewis Nash is one of jazz’s most recorded musicians, appearing on over 500 recordings including 10 Grammy winners and numerous Grammy nominees. In fact, Nash has the distinction of being the only musician in jazz history featured on the winners in both the “Best Jazz Vocal” and “Best Jazz Instrumental” album categories in two separate years: the 2004 Grammys with Nancy Wilson and McCoy Tyner, and again in 2010 with Dee Dee Bridgewater and James Moody.
Read MoreMarlon Martinez
Faculty
About
Hailing from Los Angeles, Marlon Martinez is a young virtuoso bassist and composer emerging at the center of the resurgent Los Angeles jazz scene. He has demonstrated his virtuosity while touring with a wide range of artists, from rock icon Stewart Copeland to classical trailblazers Quatuor Ebène. Marlon is the protégé of mentor Stanley Clarke and studied with legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter in New York City. He is the music director and composer of his big band, Marlonius Jazz Orchestra. Marlon is a winner of Colburn School’s 2020 New Venture Competition and was selected as an artist-in-residence for the inaugural Amplify Series at Colburn School in 2022.
Read MoreMartin Wind
Faculty
About
Bassist and composer Martin Wind was born in Flensburg, Germany, in 1968 and moved to New York in 1996 to study at New York University (NYU) on a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
Read MoreMatt Brewer
Faculty
Matt Wilson
Faculty
Michael Glynn
Faculty
Miles Okazaki
Faculty
About
Miles Okazaki is a NYC-based guitarist originally from Port Townsend, a small seaside town in Washington State. His approach to the guitar is described by the New York Times as “utterly contemporary, free from the expectations of what it means to play a guitar in a group setting — not just in jazz, but any kind.” His sideman experience over the last two decades covers a broad spectrum, from standards to experimental music (Kenny Barron, John Zorn, Stanley Turrentine, Dan Weiss, Matt Mitchell, Steve Coleman, Jonathan Finlayson, Jane Monheit, Amir ElSaffar, Darcy James Argue, and many others). He has released nine albums of original compositions over the last 12 years on the Sunnyside, Pi, and Cygnus labels. In 2018 Okazaki received wide critical acclaim for his six-album recording of the complete compositions of Thelonious Monk for solo guitar, an unprecedented project that Nate Chinen called “the six-string equivalent of a free solo climb up El Capitan.” That year, Okazaki was voted the #1 rising star guitarist in the Downbeat Magazine critic’s poll. Other projects include a longstanding duo with drummer Dan Weiss, a duo with percussionist Rajna Swaminathan, and a published book, Fundamentals of Guitar, with Mel Bay. He taught guitar and rhythmic theory at the University of Michigan from 2013-22, joined the faculty at Princeton University in 2021, and holds degrees from Harvard University, Manhattan School of Music, and the Juilliard School.
Read MoreObed Calvaire
Faculty
About
Obed Calvaire, a native of Miami and of Haitian descent is a graduate with both a master and bachelor degree of music from one of America’s premiere private music conservatories in the nation, Manhattan School of Music. He received his bachelor’s degree in 2003, completing the undergraduate degree requirements in three years and receiving his master’s in 2005.
Read MorePatrick Bartley
Faculty
Quincy Davis
Faculty
Randy Halberstadt
Vocal Accompanist and Music Theory
Randy Porter
Faculty
About
Jazz pianist Randy Porter has a refined understanding of improvisation and the spontaneous communication between musicians. As a Steinway Artist, Randy Porter draws from a rich palette of sonorities found within his imagination and the depths of the piano.
Read MoreRene Marie
About
In a span of two decades, René Marie has cemented her reputation not only as a singer but also as a composer, arranger, actress and educator. Guided and tempered by powerful life lessons and rooted in jazz traditions laid down by icons of past generations, this two-time Grammy Nominee melds jazz with elements of spirituals, folk, R&B, classical and even country to create a captivating hybrid style. Her body of work is musical, but it’s more than just music. It’s an exploration of the bright and dark corners of the human experience, a musical architecture for the human spirit.
Read MoreRoberta Gamberini
Faculty
Sachal Vasandani
Faculty
About
Sachal Vasandani is recognized for his singular voice, with a tone and unique phrasing that mark him as one of the most compelling artists on the scene today.
Read MoreSara Gazarek
Faculty
Tanya Darby
Faculty
Taylor Eigsti
Faculty
Terell Stafford
Faculty
Tia Fuller
Faculty
About
When Grammy-nominated Mack Avenue recording artist, composer, and bandleader Tia Fuller picks up her saxophone, something amazing happens. Blending technical brilliance, melodic creativity, and the performing precision drawn from both her academic and stage experience, Fuller is a force to be reckoned with in the worlds of jazz, pop, R&B, and more. Currently, Fuller balances the worlds of performance and education, fulfilling a demanding schedule as both a busy touring and recording artist and a full-time professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Read MoreWycliffe Gordon
Faculty
