Akshat Jain

Faculty: Tuba & Euphonium

Education:

DePaul University, MM, Tuba Performance
Ball State University, BM, Tuba Performance
Interlochen Arts Academy, HS Diploma

Bio:

Akshat Jain is an artist committed to outreach and civic practices through the field of music and his voice as a tubist. As an active performer, he believes that being a versatile musician is integral to succeeding as a 21-Century musician. This belief is shared in his teaching pursuits.

Since joining the Merit School of Music Faculty in 2019, his responsibilities include teaching group classes at the Tuition-Free Conservatory, being an assistant band director with fellow Merit Faculty member Steven Gooden at Proviso Math and Science Academy, and teaching private lessons/group classes at Carson Elementary, PMSA, Burley Elementary, and the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative.

In addition to his role at Merit, Akshat maintains a private teaching studio, and his students have matriculated to DePaul University, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Ball State University, and Interlochen Arts Academy, to name a few.

Akshat enjoys performing chamber music, orchestral repertoire, wind band, brass ensemble, contemporary, jazz, popular, and avant-garde music. Recent highlights of his performances include performing at the World Expo 2020 with Thaddeus Tukes and the Chicago Freedom Ensemble, hosted in Dubai. He also performs regularly with Mucca Pazza and is the bandleader for Jina Brass Band (Chicago). He is currently the Principal Tubist of the Chicago Composers Orchestra.

You may also hear Akshat performing on the soundtrack of “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul”, directed by Adamma Ebo. He has also performed with organizations like the New Philharmonic Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Aspen Music Festival, Fresh Inc Music Festival, and the Seoul International Community Orchestra Festival.

Akshat is a co-founder of the Illinois Low Brass Institute and serves as Treasurer to the Tuba-Euphonium Social Justice Initiative.

His principal teachers include Floyd Cooley, Warren Deck, Andy Smith, Gene Pokorny, Matthew Lyon, Anthony Kniffen, and Thomas Riccobono.

Favorite Musicians:

I don’t really have favorites when it comes to compositions and musicians. I prefer all art to be shaped by the environment that I am in at any given point.

My Links: