Banks Sapnar is recognized as one of the most vibrant up-and-coming and in-demand talents in the Philadelphia/New York area. He began his musical career at age five, when his talent was first recognized through local piano competitions. Banks was drawn to jazz after receiving a Duke Ellington compilation CD from his mother, and went on to participate in numerous honors programs, including the NAfME All-National Jazz Band and Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Summer Jazz Academy. Banks continued to pursue music and went on to study at Temple University under living jazz legend and trumpet player Terell Stafford. As a member of the Temple University Jazz Band, directed by Stafford, he performed at events such as the Midwest Clinic in Chicago, the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, and Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Jack Rudin Jazz Championship, where the band took top honors at the inaugural event. He has also performed with renowned artists including Wycliffe Gordon, Sean Jones, Christian McBride, and Joey DeFrancesco. Today, Banks performs regularly with high-profile ensembles such as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the Jimmy Heath Orchestra, and he currently serves on the faculty at Temple University.
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RESCHEDULED: Ted Nash Big Band
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
9:10 PM - 10:00 PM CST
