North Hennepin Community College presents its 8th annual JazzFest Concert directed by David Mantini on Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 7 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center Theatre (FAC 178). This year’s concert will feature jazz artist Jeff Antoniuk, who will also share his expertise during clinics on campus with more than 80 local high school students. The concert is free and open to the community. For those who cannot attend in person, the event will also be live-streamed. Visit YouTube to view the live-stream.
Event Schedule
NHCC 8th Annual JazzFest Concert featuring Jeff Antoniuk
Saturday, February 8, 7 p.m.
Located in the Fine Arts Center Theatre
- Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
- Performance begins at 7 p.m.
- Attend in person (free admission) or visit YouTube to view the live-stream.
About Jeff Antoniuk
“Creating and Expanding Community” might be the best way to describe saxophonist Jeff Antoniuk’s laser-like focus in his three-decade long career. As a world class performer, recording artist and a national leader in jazz education, Jeff is driven by the desire to bring musicians, students and audiences together. He has led discussions on art and education at the White House, busked for loose change with sax legend Jeff Coffin, and toured Siberia in February.
Born in Edmonton, Canada, Antoniuk studied at the prestigious University of North Texas, where he earned both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Jazz Performance and Ethnomusicology. Living in Nigeria, Africa as a child and traveling the world as a musician, Antoniuk became enthralled with the questions of how we learn, what is innate, and what inspires us to create. His studies, research and insights have led to a rare ability as a musical coach and guide. Jeff has developed and served as artistic director on over 90 different workshops on specific jazz topics and conducted over 3,000 jazz masterclasses in the last 18 years.
As a performer and composer, Antoniuk is heralded for his “considerable chops” (Jazz Times Magazine) and “a creative spark that never lets up,” (Rochester City Paper). His recordings with Jeff Antoniuk & The Jazz Update, Helluvaband and The MARS 4-tet have all received critical praise, with appearances on the Jazz Top 40 charts. In 2016, Antoniuk was tapped by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to be the featured soloist for their world premier performances of “A Swingin’ Nutcracker,” the first full jazz realization of Tchaikovsky’s 25 movement ballet.
Also a busy sideman, Jeff Antoniuk has played with or led bands with such luminaries as fellow saxophonists Ralph Bowen and Walt Weiskopf, guitarists Tim Miller and Steve Rochiniski, drummers Sherrie Maricle and Warren Wolf, bassists Jimmy Haslip and Marcus Miller, and trumpet players Tim Hagans and Ingrid Jensen.
His popular You Tube channel Jeff Antoniuk - Educator, and his Facebook page archive numerous educational and behind-the-scenes videos which have been viewed millions of times by his dedicated followers. New videos, always free, appear weekly. In the past year, Jeff served as an adjunct faculty member at Towson University as a Master Teaching Artist at Washington Performing Arts for 20 years, and as the Artistic Director of inDepth Jazz Clinics, Jazz Band Masterclass, and the JazzWire Summit adult jazz camp (formerly Maryland Summer Jazz). He has published in numerous magazines and with Alfred Publishing and is an Eastman Saxophones Artist.