Jon Faddis
Member
Jon Faddis is a musician, conductor, composer and educator. Mr. Faddis was born in Oakland, California and began playing the trumpet at the age of seven. Three years later, Mr. Faddis’ trumpet teacher, Bill Catalano, began teaching him John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie’s music; at age 15, Mr. Faddis and Mr. Gillespie spoke at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Faddis sat in with Mr. Gillespie at the famed Jazz Workshop in San Francisco; that moment marked the beginning of a friendship between the two that spanned almost three decades. At 17, Mr. Faddis joined Lionel Hampton’s band on tour and later moved to New York.
In over 40 years as a musician, Mr. Faddis has performed and recorded with numerous renowned jazz musicians. Mr. Faddis has recorded hundreds of albums, ranging from early duets to soundtracks for film and television. Mr. Faddis continues the tradition of honoring one’s teachers, and, accordingly, continues to champion the music of his mentor and close friend, Dizzy Gillespie. He also works to teach the upcoming generation of jazz masters. Mr. Faddis believes in accessible and quality education for young musicians and regularly leads master classes nationally and internationally. Mr. Faddis became an Artist-in-Residence at Conservatory of Music at Purchase College-SUNY in 1999 and, soon after, became a Professor and Director of Jazz. Mr. Faddis now regularly teaches during the academic year.
In May 2003, Mr. Faddis received Manhattan School of Music’s first-ever honorary doctorate in Jazz Studies. Among numerous other awards, Mr. Faddis has received the Milt Jackson Award for Excellence and Accessibility in Jazz.
