In demand as a saxophonist and clinician of jazz and classical music, Dr. J. Scott Turpen has performed world-wide including the United States, Singapore, Thailand, China, Brazil, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, and Switzerland. He has been invited to perform at numerous national and regional meetings of the North American Saxophone Alliance, and represented the United States when he performed at the XI, XII, XIII, and XVI World Saxophone Congresses. His orchestral experience is extensive, and includes performances with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra, the Macon Symphony Orchestra, the Savannah Symphony Orchestra, and the Augusta Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Turpen has performed with some of the most distinguished artists in jazz and popular music including Louis Bellson, Doc Severinsen, Red Rodney, Ernie Watts, Bob Mintzer, Ray Charles, The Temptations, Frankie Valli, Crystal Gayle, and Carol Channing, to name only a few. He has had many outstanding composers write new saxophone works for him such as David Deason, Jason Barabba, Anne Guzzo, Tommy Joe Anderson, Greg Steinke, Lewis Nielson, Derek Keller, Bonnie Miksch, and David Brinkman.
Dr. Turpen is Professor of Music at the University of Wyoming where he serves as Director of Jazz Studies and saxophone professor. During his tenure in Wyoming, Dr. Turpen has received many prestigious awards including the Jack P. Ellbogen Meritorious Classroom Teaching Award, the College of Arts and Sciences Top 10 Teacher Award, the Extraordinary Merit Award for Research, the Top Prof Award, the Student Council Thumbs Up Award, and the Excellence in Advising Award. In addition, he was awarded a Performing Arts Fellowship from the Wyoming Arts Council. He was selected by his peers to serve as the Chair of the prestigious Committee for the 2010 North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) Biennial Conference. In addition, he served on the Executive Board for the Georgia Association of Jazz Educators, as the Treasurer for NASA, and as the editor of the bi-monthly NASA newsletter entitled The Update.
ClassicsToday reviewer Jed Distler proclaimed, "The top-to-bottom evenness of [Dr. Turpen's] sonority, together with unflappable technical control will guarantee listening fun." The Macon Telegraph said of his performance of Alexander Glazounov's saxophone concerto with the Macon Symphony Orchestra, "Dr. Turpen turned the saxophone into a producer of a most rounded and liquid tone, and the audience responded with a deserved enthusiasm." Dr. Turpen has recorded music for the National Geographic television channel, and has performed, presented clinics, and adjudicated at several music events including the Gene Harris Jazz Festival, the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, the University of Georgia Saxophone Performance Workshop, the Siskiyou Saxophone Workshop, the Wyoming Music Educator's Conference, the Kinser Jazz Festival, the Eastern Montana Jazz Festival, the Georgia Music Educator's Association Conference, and the Georgia Governor's Honor Program for gifted students. He has performed numerous concertos with orchestras and concert bands throughout the United States. His solo and chamber music recordings, Dance of the West, Verismo (with the Verismo Trio), Tableaux, and Crossover, on the ACA Digital label and Dazzle Recordings, have received much acclaim.
Dr. Turpen is a Yamaha Performing Artist and Clinician and a D'Addario Performing Artist.
