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Nicole Glover

About Me

Saxophonist Nicole Glover, 20, began her love of jazz while still in elementary school, being introduced to records such as Sonny Rollins' ”Saxophone Colossus” and Cannonball Adderley's “Somethin' Else” by her father. She began playing the saxophone at the age of 11.

In high school, as a member of the Pacific Crest Jazz Orchestra and American Music Program directed by Thara Memory, Nicole has performed -- and placed first -- across the United States at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington Competition in New York City; the Berklee High School Jazz Competition in Boston; the Next Generation Jazz Festival and Monterey Jazz Festival in California; the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Idaho; the Savannah Music Festival’s Swing Central Competition in Georgia; the North Texas Jazz Festival; the Clark College Jazz Festival in Vancouver, Washington; and the Northwest Jazz Band Festival in Oregon. She was also a member of the top sextet at the Alan Jones Academy of Music and a member of Portland’s Metropolitan Youth Symphony’s Jazz Orchestra. Nicole won Outstanding Soloist Awards at the Willamette Jazz Festival and North Texas Jazz Festival, as well as Tigard High School’s Louis Armstrong Jazz Award (for 2 years in a row).

Upon graduating, Nicole moved to the East Coast to study music at William Paterson University. During her time there, she spent time learning from and playing with Rich Perry, Mulgrew Miller, Harold Mabern, Bill Goodwin, Kevin Norton, Steve LaSpina, Marcus McLaurine, Vincent Herring, and James Weidman. Close proximity to New York City also provided Nicole with the opportunity to experience the city's thriving music scene, as well as take lessons from saxophonist Tony Malaby.

Throughout her musical career, Nicole has had the pleasure of performing with such great musicians as Esperanza Spaulding, Mulgrew Miller, Rich Perry, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Watson, Christian Scott, Mel Brown, Julian Lage, Bernard Purdie, Paquito D’Rivera, Javon Jackson, Eric Alexander, Wycliffe Gordon, Gary Smulyan, Red Holloway, David Ornette Cherry, Terell Stafford, Jeff Clayton, Dana Hall, and Thara Memory.

Nicole now resides in her native Portland, Oregon, where she performs and teaches.

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