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RAVINIA’S STEANS MUSIC INSTITUTE
RSMI
JAZZ FELLOWS
Dishan Harper
, bass
Dishan Harper is a professional
bassist, born and raised in Atlanta,
Georgia. He began playing the
upright bass his freshman year at
North Atlanta High School Center
for the Performing Arts. After
high school, he continued his studies at Georgia State
University where he received his bachelor’s degree in
jazz studies under the direction of Robert Dickson (GSU
bass instructor). In addition to his education, Dishan’s
passion for jazz music stems from his family. Danny
Harper, (Dishan’s father), is a professional trumpet player
and composer who directs the jazz studies program at
Miles College in Birmingham, Alabama. His mother,
Terry Harper, is a professional pianist and singer who
has performed with The Neighborhood Arts Ensemble
and Hannibal and The Philip Harper Band. His uncles,
Winard and Philip Harper (The Harper Brothers), have
several jazz albums under Verve Record Label. Since
college, Dishan has performed with great musicians such
as Russell Gunn and George Cables. He’s played with
The Glenn Miller Big Band. In 2015, he toured with
Emory University’s Jazz Ensemble under the direction of
Gary Motley, performing in and around Columbia, South
America. In 2017, he toured Europe (including Poland
and Germany), with vocalist Melanie Charles.
Mikailo Kasha
, bass
Mikailo Kasha is a jazz bassist,
composer/arranger, and bandleader
from Mountain View, California.
He is currently studying at Florida
State University under the direction
of Rodney Jordan, as well as
Marcus Roberts, Scotty Barnhart, and David Detweiler.
Previously, he studied under bassists Seward McCain
and Frank Tusa. Prior to Florida State University, he
studied at the Eastman School of Music under Jeff
Campbell, Bob Sneider, Harold Danko, Clay Jenkins,
and Bill Dobbins. Mikailo is an alumni of youth jazz
programs such as the Stanford Jazz Workshop and San
Jose Jazz where he was mentored by David Wong,
Ndugu Chancelor, Victor Lin, and Aaron Lington.
Mikailo has performed previously at the San Jose
Jazz Summerfest, the Florida Jazz and Blues Festival,
the Amelia Island Jazz Festival, and the Rochester
International Jazz Festival. He currently plays in the
FSU Jazz Ensemble I under Leon Anderson and FSU
Jazz Combo I under David Detweiler.
Gabriel Landa
, drums
Gabriel Landa is a drummer and
percussionist from San Juan, Puerto
Rico. Born into an artistic family of
ballet dancers, he was exposed to
music from an early age, and began
to play guitar at age six. In middle
school, he began playing percussion in concert band,
taking stronger interest in drum set until he formally
switched to it in the 9th grade. Gabriel finished his last
two years of high school at Osceola County School for
the Arts, during which he travelled to New York City to
play for Essentially Ellington, a premier jazz festival and
competition hosted by Jazz at Lincoln Center. This was
one of the experiences that solidified his intention to be
a jazz musician for a living. Currently attending Florida
State University as a jazz performance major, Gabriel
studies under the mentorship of drummer Leon Anderson
along with other members of the faculty. During his time
at FSU, he has grown into the music scene in Tallahassee
where he now regularly gigs with colleagues and local
groups. When he isn’t behind drums, Gabriel is usually
listening to music, geeking out on other interests such as
cars and mechanics, or attempting to maintain what is left
of his skills on guitar.
Armir Lee
, alto saxophone
Oyama Charitable Foundation
Fellowship
Armir Lee is from Houston, TX and
graduated from The High School
for the Performing and Visual Arts
(HSPVA). At HSPVA, Armir studied
jazz extensively at the performing arts school but, also
studied in liberal arts courses. In ninth grade, Armir
formed a jazz quintet called Band V which has played
at various venues. His band continues to perform during
the summer when each member returns home from
college. Band V participated in the Thelonious Monk
Institute’s Peer-to-Peer Jazz Education Tour. Armir has
volunteered his time to his church, his peers, and assisted
living facilities. To Armir’s benefit, many great musicians
such as Brad Leali, Kyle Turner, Darrell Lavigne, Javon
Jackson, Billy Pierce and many more, have given Armir
wisdom that has propelled him to success. Armir currently
attends Berklee College Music on a full scholarship
(Berklee’s Presidential Scholarship). For the past two
years, Armir has focused on learning as much as he
possibly can by practicing, watching performances and
sitting in with musicians he aspires to play with some day.
Armir plans to graduate from Berklee College of Music in
Spring 2020 with a B.M. in music education; additionally,
he would like to pursue a career in music performance.
Luca Mendoza
, piano
Luca Mendoza (19) multi-genre
pianist and composer. Luca is the
2016 National YoungArts Foundation
Finalist for Jazz piano, a LA Music
Center Spotlight Grand Prize Finalist
and a Los Angeles Philharmonic
ComposerFellow.Asthelatter,hehashadhiscompositions
performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Calder
Quartet and the Los Angeles Percussion Quartet, as well
as members of the Los Angeles Master Chorale and
ICE. He is one of two of the Monterey Next Generation
Jazz Festival’s all time “Triple Crown Winners,” as a
two-time member of the Monterey Next Generation
Jazz Orchestra with two Monterey Next Generation
Jazz Festival Outstanding Solo Awards and two Gerald
Wilson Awards for Composition. He has received eight
Downbeat Magazine
Student Music Awards (as a soloist,
in small and large ensemble composition, and combo
performance), an ASCAP Herb Alpert Award, and was
a finalist in the Jazz Education Network Composer
Showcase and the ASCAP Morton Gould Award. He
has also been accepted into the 2017 NARAS Grammy
Band, the 2014 and 2015 Dave Brubeck Summer Jazz
Colonies, and the 2015 Vail Jazz Workshop. Luca is a
rising sophomore at the University of Southern California
majoring in Classical Composition.
Sean Riddle
, bass
Sean Riddle is an up and coming
bassist, composer, and improviser
in the Southern California creative
music scene. Refusing to be tethered
by a single style, Sean’s work draws
influence from the realms or Jazz,
the music of West Africa, traditional Balkan music, Free
Improvisation, and New Music, bringing these influences
together to create music that eviscerates the boundaries
of composition and improvisation. Along with this, Sean
integrates social messages into his music, using it as a lense
to explore how composition/improvisation can challenge
social norms and inspire growth in humanity. He has
studied with Darek Oles, Oscar Hidalgo, David Tranchina,
and David Roitstein, as well as having performed with
Vinny Golia, Larry Koonse, Bennie Maupin, Chris Speed,
Paul Novros, Joe LaBarbera, Miroslav Tadic, Nani Agbeli,
Andrew Grueschow, Houman Pourmedhi, and Nicholas
Deyoe. For the past three years, Sean has recorded at Capitol
Records for the annual CalArts Jazz CD. He holds a BFA
in Jazz Bass Performance and a minor in Social Sciences
from CalArts.
Matthew Smith
, drums
Matthew Smith is a freelance musician
from San Diego California and began
playing musically professionally in
2001. Matthew attended California
State Fullerton where he earned a
bachelor’s degree in jazz studies in
2012. Since then Matthew has gone on to release albums
both as a leader and a sideman. Matthew performs with
his own jazz trio “The Matt Smith Neu Jazz Trio,” which
was nominated for best jazz album at the San Diego
Music Awards in 2018. Matthew also runs a funk outfit
called “Juice Box.” As a drummer/composer Matthew has
studied with the likes of Ari Hoenig, Duncan Moore and
Joey Sellars. Recently, Matthew has started pursuing his
master’s degree at California Institute of the Arts in Los
Angles, where he is studying with world class drummer Joe
LaBarbera. Matthew has his standards set high and plans to
keep striving higher, both with his music and with himself.
Bryson Wheeler
, trombone
Bryson Wheeler is a senior trombonist
and jazz major at Florida State
University, located in south Florida,
Fort Myers. He been playing music for
ten years, nine of which he has played
jazz. In grade school, he participated
in all-county jazz groups as well as All-State and studied
under jazz trumpeter Dan Miller and Tubist Todd Handley.
Currently, Bryson performs in numerous college ensembles
as well as pursuing separate projects with peers and
professors.