Saxophonist Glenn Kostur has been the Director of Jazz Studies at the University of New Mexico since 1995. His duties have included conducting the University of New Mexico jazz bands, teaching improvisation, composition and arranging, and coaching jazz combos. As a jazz educator, Glenn has been a clinician and guest performer at schools throughout the United States, and has conducted high school all-state jazz groups in Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Texas. Glenn conducted the All-Northwest Jazz Band, a high school honor group of students from six northwest states (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming).
Since 2010, Glenn has been serving as the Musical Director for the Albuquerque Jazz Orchestra, having joined the group in 1995.
For three years, Glenn was saxophonist, composer and arranger, and musical director for jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson; with whom he appeared on three recordings: Big Bop Nouveau, Footpath Cafe, and Live From London.
Glenn released his first album as a leader in 2005 - a trio recording called Trifling. In 1998, he was one of the founding members of the contemporary saxophone quartet, Thrascher, performing at the World Saxophone Congresses in Montreal, Canada and St. Andrews, Scotland. Their album releases, Another Sound Thrasching and Axes of Evil, are available online at their website. Other recording credits include the Frank Mantooth Jazz Orchestra, the Dallas Jazz Orchestra, the Jazz Members Big Band of Chicago, the Steve Wiest Jazz Orchestra, the hr-Bigband, and the Texas All-Star Jazz Band.
Glenn's compositions and arrangements have been published by Warner Brothers, Doug Beach, and UNC Jazz Press. A student of James Riggs and Debra Richtmeyer, Glenn is a graduate of the University of North Texas (Bachelor of Music in jazz studies-performance) and DePaul University (Masters of Music in jazz studies-composition).
Glenn is a Yamaha Performing Artist.
