University of Utah
Dr. Josiah Boornazian is an award-winning saxophonist, composer, educator, electronic musician, and scholar of music most recently active in Utah, Europe, South Texas, Miami, New York City, Washington state, and California. He is currently the Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Dr. Boornazian has also taught applied saxophone and jazz studies at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, music technology at Broward College, jazz and general music appreciation at the City College of New York, and applied saxophone, jazz performance, and musicology at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Miami Frost School of Music, a Master of Arts degree from the City College of New York, and a Bachelor of Music degree from California State University, Northridge.
As a performing and recording artist, Dr. Boornazian has been cultivating an innovative, technology-based jazz performance practice for several years, which began with his adoption of digital effects pedals for live performances. He has continued to develop his creative musical approach to include the use of software-based synthesizers, evolving electronic effects, and improvised digital accompaniment using Ableton, the digital audio workstation. His playing and composing have been featured recently on albums released on record labels including Fresh Sound New Talent, Elegant Noise Records, and Jazz Hang Records.
Dr. Boornazian’s recordings feature his original compositions and include over thirty self-published jazz and electronic albums available on Bandcamp.com and all major online music streaming platforms. In his career as a jazz and electronic artist, Dr. Boornazian has performed with a stylistically diverse collection of musicians including John Williams, Dave Liebman, Dave Holland, Nick Smart, Diane Schuur, Dave Grusin, Chris Potter, Donny McCaslin, Arturo Sandoval, John Faddis, Mark Farina, Steve Miller, Jimmie Vaughan, Jimmy Heath, Ignacio Berroa, John Beasley, Dafnis Prieto, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Drew Gress, David Binney, Wayne Krantz, Ari Hoenig, Will Vinson, Ben Wendel, Ferenc Nemeth, Alan Ferber, John Daversa, Kenny Wollesen, the Gil Evans Orchestra, Lew Soloff, Massimo Biolcati, Nir Felder, the South Florida Jazz Orchestra, and Shelly Berg, among others.
His peer-reviewed publications include articles in Jazz Perspectives, Jazz Education in Research and Practice, The International Association of Schools of Jazz (IASJ) Journal of Applied Research, and The Saxophone Symposium. Dr. Boornazian has also published more than fifty articles for the popular jazz education website LearnJazzStandards.com. As a scholar of music, Dr. Boornazian frequently gives presentations at the Jazz Education Network Conference, the IASJ Conference, Texas Music Educators Association Conference, the Utah Music Educators Conference, among others. He was also awarded a Björn Bärnheim Research Fellowship at the Hogan Jazz Archive housed at Tulane University during the 2017–2018 academic year.
Dr. Boornazian makes his home in the beautiful foothills of the majestic and inspiring Wasatch Mountains adjacent to Salt Lake City where—in addition to teaching, performing, composing, and engaging in research—he enjoys painting, hiking, skiing, bicycling, serving at church, and communing with nature. For additional information, please visit www.josiahboornazian.com.
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Friday, January 9, 2026
2:00 PM - 2:50 PM CST
U. of Utah Michie Scholarship Jazz Combo
Saturday, January 10, 2026
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM CST
