Jackson's Music Lessons

Jackson A. Waters is a concert composer and trumpet player who was recently deemed the next “Rising Star” by VoyageLA Magazine. At 16, he was selected to be the youngest composer-in-residence at the 2018 Oregon Bach Festival, where the Festival premiered his first work involving a string quartet and piano. Months later, Jackson was commissioned by the Areté Vocal Ensemble to write a choral work in memory of the lives affected and lost during the Woolsey Fire that struck Southern California in 2018. By the time he entered his first semester at New York University, Jackson had earned commissions and performance opportunities from conservatories, professional ensembles, and dance companies.

As a bi-racial composer, Jackson's latest accomplishment is his debut orchestral symphony, which focuses on rejuvenating Black American history and culture, with an aim to surface previously unrepresented stories and racial injustices. His impressive orchestration skills have earned him recognition from The Colburn School, NYU Orchestra 1, American Composers Orchestra, and the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra’s Emerging Composers Competition at just 21 years old.

As a classical and studio trumpet player in New York, Jackson has performed with the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra and frequently plays in recording sessions for other artists.

Jackson recently came back from the Czech Republic working on his debut album, where he recorded his trumpet playing in the 13th century old St. Nicholas Church as well as recording a professional string trio in Prague for his debut album coming out later this year. In preparation for the album, Jackson recently released his debut single for solo piano titled "NoMad."

While pursuing all of this, Waters is studying music theory and composition at New York University. His past private instructors and mentors include Justin Dello Joio, Shelley Washington, and Michael Gordon, and he is currently working with Beata Hlavenková while participating in the Czech Republic.