David Borgo

David Borgo is a Professor of Music at UC San Diego where he teaches in the Integrative Studies and Jazz and Music of the African Diaspora Programs. He has a B.M. degree in Jazz Studies from Indiana University and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Ethnomusicology from UCLA. At the age of 24, David won the International John Coltrane Competition. Since then he has toured extensively, including performances in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North, Central, and South America, and he has released twelve CDs and one DVD of original music on a variety of record labels (Cadence Jazz, Resurgent Music, pfMentum, OA2 Records, Circumvention Music). David has been fortunate to study with and/or perform alongside many of the greatest jazz musicians, including Herbie Hancock, David Liebman, Billy Higgins, Kenny Burrell, Gerald Wilson, Harold Land, David Baker, Snooky Young, George Lewis, Evan Parker, Sam Rivers, John Tchicai, Anthony Davis, and Mark Dresser. In addition to jazz and improvised music, David performs electro-acoustic improvisation with KaiBorg and intricate polyrhythmic music with Kronomorfic.

Awards

First Place, 1994 International John Coltrane Competition Alan Merriam Prize from the Society For Ethnomusicology for his book Sync or Swarm, 2006

Borgo has the history of the music down pat... He touches on the past, teases with the future, but mainly speaks in the present tense. – Frank Rubolino, All About Jazz "His music is often incredibly kaleidoscopic and diverse, embracing a huge range of aesthetics." –Jazz Corner There's a wonderful energy running throughout ... This is great music played with passion by great players. – Michael Bettine, Jazz Now ... [a] modernist with a large record collection, big ears, and like-minded colleagues. – Stuart Kremsky, Cadence On soprano Borgo weaves delicate patterns across the music, while on other tracks he sets a classic big-hearted tenor sound in dialogue with avantgarde spikiness. – Nate Doward, Coda Borgo's music splashes all over the jazz spectrum, from swing to free..