For over 5 years, the St. George Jazz Festival has brought world class performers to the beautiful red rocks of Southern Utah. These incredible jazz musicians have inspired and educated an ever-growing pool of talented young jazz students. Joined by the Rebel Jazz Band, these nationally-acclaimed guest artists show off their skills at what continues to be Southern Utah’s most thrilling concert of each year.
With tremendous performances and clinics by the rising stars and established heroes of the modern jazz world, anyone seeking an immersion in jazz will find immeasurable value in the St. George Jazz Festival. Middle school and high school jazz ensembles participate in a competition adjudicated by some of the finest jazz educators in the state of Utah. The top band of the high school division enjoys the opportunity to share the stage with legendary guest artists such as Eric Marienthal on saxophone (2017), Drew Tucker on vibraphone (2018), Wayne Bergeron (2018), Bria Skonberg (2019), Bob Reynolds (2020) and Chuck Findley (2020).
Whether you are a student learning to improvise, an educator looking to enhance the skills of your jazz ensemble, or purely a listener and lover of jazz music, the St. George Jazz Festival is one event you cannot miss. The festival takes place annually during the second week of February.
St George Jazz Fest is a 501c3 nonprofit.
Glenn Webb is the director of percussion and jazz studies at Dixie State University.
Webb leads the Rebel Jazz Band, a professional big band in Southern Utah. He is also Co-Artistic Director and percussionist for Grand Circle New Music.
Webb is one of the leading New Music percussionists in the Intermountain region, and the house drummer/percussionist for the Tuacahn Center for the Arts. Webb was a member of the Ballet West Orchestra for twenty years, the last twelve as principal percussionist. During the 2002 Winter Olympic Games Glenn was a featured performer. He has performed with the Utah Symphony and Opera.
Professor Webb received his Doctor of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance from UNLV. He received his Master of Music in Percussion Performance from the University of Utah and a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education degree from Weber State University.
He is an endorsed artist for SABIAN cymbals. Learn more about Glenn here.
Robert Schmidt is currently the WCSD District Arts Coordinator in St. George, Utah, and adjunct professor at Dixie State University. He taught music in public schools for 21 years previously, and has received multiple awards and recognitions for his teaching efforts. Robert serves on the St. George Arts Commission, St. George City RAP tax committee, Washington County RAP tax committee, Southwest Symphony Auxiliary Board, A.R.T.S. Inc Board, and the Rebel Jazz Band Board.
Robert stays active as a performer in Southern Utah by participating in a variety of ensembles including the Southwest Symphony, Rebel Jazz Band, Dixie State Symphony Orchestra and more. Robert graduated from Weber State University with Bachelor of Arts in Music Education in 1994 and Utah State University in 2005 with a Masters of Education in Instructional Technology. More than anything else, Robert’s greatest joy has come from being happily married for the last 28 years to his wife Rebecca. They have three children who keep Robert busy working multiple jobs to support their educational interests. Robert enjoys running, biking, swimming and golfing and an occasional nap.
Tabitha Nygaard is a passionate, driven artist and educator from Southern Utah. She graduated as an Art Major from Dixie State University in 2017. Throughout her college career at Dixie State University and the University of Utah, her award-winning work has been featured in student art shows and galleries across diverse mediums and styles.
Living in St. George, UT with her husband and dog, she now enjoys teaching elementary art. She is also heavily engaged with her own endeavors and those of the artistic community. Musically, she contributes to A.R.T.S., Inc. by running the Jazz Improvisation Clinics. She also is a member of the Southwest Symphony Orchestra playing french horn and trumpet. Among her many artistic hobbies, she also enjoys playing games with her family and working on several ongoing hands-on projects with family, like restoring a 1977 Corvette.
Amanda Morrill Pearson is a percussionist and music educator in St. George, Utah. Amanda holds degrees from Dixie State University (BS in Music) and the University of Utah (MM in Percussion Performance).
She enjoys teaching percussion students of every level both as a private instructor and as a visiting artist to the local middle and high schools. Amanda has had the privilege of teaching jazz history and percussion lessons at Dixie State University since Fall of 2015. Some of her favorite gigs around town include playing in the pit for the musicals out at Tuacahn Amphitheater, performing as a longtime member of the Southwest Symphony, and frequently joining the Rebel Jazz Band for performances throughout the year.
