Jazz Studies Area Faculty
- Professor of Music-Trumpet
- Director of Jazz Studies
- Founder of Eau Claire Jazz Inc.
715-836-4371 / bacarj@uwec.edu
Robert Baca is Professor of Trumpet and Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, where he has built a nationally recognized program. A versatile performer, he has played with the Milwaukee Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, and on A Prairie Home Companion, as well as touring with artists such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Buddy Rich. His career spans over 100 Broadway productions, international solo appearances, and extensive recording work. A Bach Trumpet Performing Artist, Baca is also a sought-after clinician and conductor, recently leading the National High School Honors Jazz Ensemble at the NAfME national convention
715-836-5512 / croweljw@uwec.edu
- Professor of Theatre Arts Department
Dr. Jeffery Crowell is an Emmy Award–winning percussionist and Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, where he teaches percussion, directs ensembles, and leads the Blugold Marching Band Drumline. He has performed and presented internationally, including appearances in South Africa, Argentina, Uruguay, and at the Kennedy Center, and has recorded with artists such as Bobby Shew, Louie Bellson, and Henry Mancini. A versatile educator and marching arts specialist with over 30 years of experience, he serves as Front Ensemble Supervisor for The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps and is an active clinician and published author. Crowell is an artist for Tama/Bergerault, Sabian, Innovative Percussion, Tycoon, Remo, and Black Swamp Percussion
715-836-2318 / hedensan@uwec.edu
- Lecturer of Music - Saxophone and Jazz Studies
Saxophonist and composer Aaron Hedenstrom has performed and written music professionally for over a decade, appearing nationwide as a soloist, clinician, and bandleader. His compositions have earned honors such as the Herb Alpert ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award, Detroit Jazz Festival Composition Contest, and multiple DownBeat Awards. Hedenstrom has collaborated with artists including Stefon Harris, Bob Reynolds, and S. Carey, and his works span big band, chamber, and string arrangements. He has released multiple albums as a leader, including A Moment of Clarity, The Living Sessions, and A Symphonic Jazz Hip-Hop Experience
- Associate Lecturer/Jazz
Tyler Lustek is an associate lecturer in jazz at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, where he co-directs the jazz combo program and teaches improvisation. A versatile pianist and composer, he performs widely across the Chippewa Valley and has appeared with artists such as Marquis Hill, Anat Cohen, Wayne Bergeron, and Sean Carey. Lustek earned degrees in music education from UW–Madison and jazz studies from Northern Illinois University, where he performed with the nationally acclaimed NIU Jazztet. Since returning to Eau Claire, he has led multiple projects, co-founded the Clearwater Honors Jazz Ensemble, and been recognized in Volume One’s Best of the Chippewa Valley Reader Poll
Jeremy Boettcher
- Private Lesson Teacher - Bass / Small Combo
Award-winning Bassist, Jeremy Boetcher quickly found himself performing with top artists around the country as he became known for his versatility and musicianship. Over the last few years, he could be seen primarily touring the world with legends such as Sean Carey and Richard Johnson. Most recently, he performed extensively with Jazz At Lincoln Center Doha and Jazz At Lincoln Center Shanghai.
715-836-4156 / ostranpa@uwec.edu
- Professor of Music - Trombone / Band
Phil Ostrander is Professor of Trombone and Bands at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, where he conducts the Symphony Band and teaches trombone. He has performed with ensembles including the Minnesota Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, and serves as Principal Trombone of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra. A versatile artist equally active in jazz and classical settings, Ostrander has collaborated with Maria Schneider, Jimmy Heath, and Jim McNeely, and regularly performs Broadway shows in Minneapolis. He is a clinician for Conn-Selmer and an advocate for diverse repertoire, frequently programming works by underrepresented composers with the UWEC Symphony Band
- Private Lesson Teacher - Piano
Jesse Stacken, hailed by NYC Jazz Record as “one of the most impressive pianists and composers of his generation,” is a pianist, composer, and educator based in Beacon, New York. He has released numerous acclaimed recordings, including trio and quartet projects on Fresh Sound New Talent and five collaborative albums with cornetist Kirk Knuffke on Steeplechase. Known for his innovative long-form recording projects and creative approaches to solo piano, Stacken’s work bridges improvisation, classical influence, and contemporary jazz. A UW–Eau Claire and Manhattan School of Music alumnus, he teaches privately, at SUNY New Paltz, and remotely for UW–Eau Claire
