Pianist Bill Charlap has been appointed director of the Jazz Studies Program at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J. Charlap, who will join the university faculty on Sept. 1, becomes the fifth musician to lead the program. Founded in 1973, the program has been directed by trumpeter and composer/arranger Thad Jones, bassist Rufus Reid, pianist James Williams and, most recently, pianist Mulgrew Miller, who died in May 2013.
At William Paterson, Charlap will direct six of the program’s 24 small jazz groups on a weekly basis. He will host the program’s dialogue days that feature peer and faculty critiques of student performances, and he will regularly participate in numerous other activities and concerts.
The program offers bachelor’s degrees in jazz studies and performance, with hybrid degree options in audio recording, music education, music management and classical performance; the master’s degree offers tracks in performance and arranging.
Originally Published
