CO-FOUNDER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, PIANO

Drawing inspiration from different world genres, chants, voices, poems and animal sounds, Henrique Eisenmann is changing the paradigm of contemporary improvisation, creating an original musical universe that is powerfully inventive, authentic and accessible to anyone. He is faculty at The Juilliard School and City University of New York. Jazz Lab 2014-16, 2018-2020, Jazz Lab Sessions, Jazz Lab 2022-24.

CO-FOUNDER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TROMBONE

A serial musical entrepreneur, Tim is always creating. From his work as founder executive director of The Woodlands Performing Arts, a jazz education nonprofit, to co-founding jazz lab, he is always building and inspiring others to pursue their passions. He has performed and taught all over the world. Jazz Lab 2013-2020, Jazz Lab Sessions, Jazz Lab 2022-24.

FOUNDING FACULTY, PIANO

Jazz pianist, composer, and educator David Zoffer is a pioneer of technology in jazz education. As chair of jazz for preparatory and continuing education at New England Conservatory, Zoffer has been at the forefront of the field by tying a deep knowledge of jazz tradition with a knack for identifying the latest technological advances that will help his students learn, create, and develop. He serves as faculty at New England Conservatory, Berklee and Walnut Hill School for the Arts in addition to his role as a founding Jazz Lab faculty member. Jazz Lab 2013-2020, Jazz Lab 2022-24.

FACULTY, VOICE

Farayi Malek is a jazz and contemporary vocalist, composer, and educator. She serves on faculty at Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory, coaching ensembles and maintaining private teaching studios. A highly sought-after performer, Farayi is a member of Danilo Pérez’ Global Messengers, performing and recording at festivals and venues around the world. As an entrepreneur, she founded Allegro Virtual Preparatory Instruction, LLC, an online learning platform that strives to provide students with access to the highest possible level of preparation for the study of music in higher education. Jazz Lab 2022-24.

FOUNDING FACULTY, COMPOSITION, TRUMPET

An incredible educator, composer, and musician, Ken Schaphorst has served as the chair of jazz studies at New England Conservatory for over 20 years. His music has been performed and recorded by incredible artists, including John Medeski, Donny McCaslin, Seamus Blake, Drew Gress, and more, and as the chair of jazz at NEC he has worked with artists including Maria Schneider, Bob Brookmeyer, Jason Moran, Billy Hart, Hermeto Pascoal to name a few. Ken was a founding faculty member of Jazz Lab and looks to the program as a feeder for the jazz department at NEC. Jazz Lab 2013-2020, Jazz Lab 2022-24.

FACULTY, DRUMS

Peter Moffett is a professional freelance drummer and educator based in New York City. He is the drummer for the chamber-pop band Tredici Bacci, a group hailed by Rolling Stone Magazine as 10 New Bands to Watch. He is an award-winning educator, having started his teaching career at the age of 14. Moffett works with his students to help them discover the myriad roles percussion can play in music, from jazz to indie rock to world music and beyond. Jazz Lab 2013-2020, Jazz Lab Sessions, Jazz Lab 2022, Jazz Lab 2022-24.

FACULTY, GUITAR

Wendy Eisenberg is an improvising guitarist, banjo-player, vocalist and poet. Using the languages of free jazz, new music, metal and art song, their music challenges the representational and technical demands placed on a guitar and a banjo in contemporary music. Wendy has provided soundtrack work for scientific projects at the MIT Media Lab, premiered new works by John Zorn, Matt Mitchell, Ted Reichman, Maria Schneider, and Marta Tiesenga, and collaborates frequently with musicians including Matt Mitchell, Trevor Dunn, Ches Smith, Joe Morris, Damon Smith, Shane Parrish and Zach Rowden, among many others. Jazz Lab 2018-2020, Jazz Lab Sessions, Jazz Lab 2022, Jazz Lab 2023

FACULTY, BASS

Ehud Ettun is an Israeli bassist, composer, bandleader, and entrepreneur. He has collaborated with top musicians from Israel and the United States including Fred Hersch, Eli Degibri, George Garzone, Anat Cohen, Miri Mesika and has performed at the Panama Jazz Festival, Red Sea Jazz Festival, Blue Note Jazz club, Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. He is the founder and director of Internal Compass Music, a dynamic musical institution, transforming the desert town Mitzpe Ramon, Israel into an arts hub in the country. He has partnered with the Israeli government as well as state departments around the world. Jazz Lab 2017, 2018, 2019, Jazz Lab Sessions, Jazz Lab 2022-24.

FACULTY, SAX/WOODWINDS

An original voice in the music scene today, Lihi draws upon influences from her home in the Middle East and her love of the great tradition of Jazz music. She is passionate about focusing on the powerful role of music in the community. Lihi serves as an assistant professor at Berklee College of Music, lecturer at MIT, and faculty at NEC’s preparatory school. Jazz Lab 2018-2020, Jazz Lab Sessions, Jazz Lab 2022, Jazz Lab 2022-24.

FACULTY, SAX/WOODWINDS

A GRAMMY winning performer, composer, and big-band leader, Michael Thomas is a mainstay in the New York Jazz scene. An incredible multi-woodwind specialist, Michael is a first-call musician with credits on Broadway and positions in some of the highest profile big bands in New York, including the Miguel Zenon big band, Dafnis Prieto big band, and his own group, the Terreza big band, which was nominated for a Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album in the 2021 GRAMMYs. Thomas has appeared on 30 albums including Brad Mehldau’s Finding Gabriel. Michael serves on faculty at the Hartt School of Music. Jazz Lab 2015-2020, Jazz Lab Sessions, Jazz Lab 2023.

FACULTY, BASS

An in-demand performer and teaching artist based in New York City, Zwelakhe is educator and performer with Jazz at Lincoln Center, Zwelakhe has collaborated with some of the biggest names in jazz including Christian Scott, Dave Holland, Randy Weston, Dave Liebman, Jason Moran and many more. Zwelakhe serves on the bass faculty of New England Conservatory’s Jazz Lab summer program as well as Litchfield Jazz Camp. He is a recipient of Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead Fellowship, and is a former member of New Haven’s Educational Center for the Arts (ECA). Jazz Lab 2013-2019, Jazz Lab 2022.

PAST FACULTY, VOICE

Voice virtuoso Michael Mayo has a wide international experience including his collaborations with Herbie Hancock and Jacob Collier. With expertise in voice, crafting innovative practice routines and production ideas, he is the ideal guest artist to inspire new ideas. Jazz Lab 2014, 2018-2020, Jazz Lab Sessions.

PAST GUEST ARTIST, BASS, MUSIC PRODUCTION

One of the most influential Jazz educators today, Adam's expertise covers wide-ranging topics in music including theory, music cognition, jazz improvisation, musical performance technique, musicology, and internet culture’s impact on the creative process. Jazz Lab 2020, Jazz Lab Sessions.

PAST GUEST ARTIST, VOICE

Singer/songwriter, arranger and teacher born and raised in Brooklyn, Nedelka released her first recording project, “Manifest” in May 2008. After moving to Boston in 2013, she released her single, “The Light” (2018) and her EP “The Un-Silenced Voice” (2020), both accessible on Bandcamp. Most recently Nedelka is the visionary for “The Un-Silenced Voice Project”, an endeavor that seeks “to empower the feminine voice (actual and artistic) affected by trauma to help bring necessary balance into our shared spaces.” Jazz Lab Sessions.

FOUNDING FACULTY, BASS

Rick McLaughlin is a band leader, side-man, and member of the Grammy-nominated jazz group Either/Orchestra. McLaughlin has spent much of the past decade teaching aspiring musicians, notably as Assistant Professor of Harmony at Berklee College of Music, and as Jazz Department faculty at the New England Conservatory of Music School of Preparatory and Continuing Education. McLaughlin is a founding faculty of Jazz Lab and a faculty member, Jazz Lab 2013-2020.