Jon Nordgren
Jon Nordgren is the Artistic Director for Cabrillo Stage and, since 2002, has served as the Director of Bands at Cabrillo College in Aptos California. He received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from California State University Hayward and was formerly Director of Jazz Studies and Director of Bands at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, an instructor at Las Positas College in Livermore, Monte Vista High School in Danville, and James Logan High School in Union City. He has served as Jazz Representative and Newsletter Editor on the Executive Board of the Bay Section, California Music Educators Association and the Newsletter Editor for the California Unit of the International Association of Jazz Educators as well as a member of the Dave Brubeck Advisory Board at the University of the Pacific. He is currently serving on the board of the Santa Cruz Jazz Festival and an Artist in Residence at Pacific Grove Middle School. He was named Music Educator of the Year in 2019 by the Central Coast Section of the California Music Educators Association.
Mr. Nordgren has adjudicated at Orchestra, Band, Jazz, and Solo & Ensemble Festivals throughout California and Nevada, as well as presented clinics at the California Music Educators Association Bay Section Conference, the Santa Cruz Jazz Festival and for the United States Academic Decathlon among others. He has been a guest conductor of Honor Bands and Honor Jazz Bands throughout California including the 2017 CCS-CMEA High School Honor Band.
As a professional musician, he has enjoyed a rewarding career as a freelance woodwind musician, conductor, arranger, and copyist. While still in high school, he was a member of the Santa Cruz Symphony and was later hired to play in the show and marching bands at Great America in Santa Clara. He has worked as a bandleader and house musician on board Princess Cruise Lines and created and directed the Rose Bowl Cabaret Orchestra. From 1983 until 1995 he was a member of the show orchestra at Steve Silver's musical revue, "Beach Blanket Babylon..." at the Club Fugasi in San Francisco.
He has performed in concert with Antsy McClain and the Trailor Troubadors, Michael Davis, Pete Christlieb, Bob Sheppard, Bob Berg, Ernie Watts, Matt Catingub, Charles McPherson, Bobby Watson, Bobby Shew, Arturo Sandoval, Allen Vizzutti, Mike Vax, Brian Lynch, Michael Wolff, Bruce Forman, Bill Watrous, Conrad Herwig, Bruce Paulson, Steve Smith, Ed Shaugnessy, Sunny Wilkinson, Kitty Margolis, The Mood Swing Orchestra, The Chordettes, The Manhattan Transfer, Smokey Robinson, the Temptations, Little Anthony, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Bobby Rydel, Joanne Castle, Julius LaRossa, Donald O'Connor, Jack Jones, and the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Baily Circus etc....
He has performed on recordings for the Santa Clara County Fair, Chucky Cheese Pizza Parlors and Marriott's Great America. He appeared in television commercials for Arthur's nightclub and his playing has been featured on numerous demos for local artists.
Jon's true love is musical theater! He has enjoyed a long career as woodwind doubler, musical director and/or orchestra conductor for more than 40 years. As the Artistic Director for Cabrillo Stage since 2006, Jon has produced 30 shows including: Guys and Dolls, Little Shop of Horrors, Kiss Me Kate, Forever Plaid, Jesus Christ Superstar, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, The Wizard of Oz, Scrooge, Swing, Cabaret, The Full Monty, Hairspray, Plaid Tidings, A Chorus Line, Anything Goes, La Cage Aux Folles, Oklahoma, Altar Boyz, Oliver, Urinetown, School House Rock Live!, Mary Poppins, Chicago, Fiddler On The Roof, The Addams Family, Beauty and the Beast, Rent, The Producers, Beehive, Into the Woods, Kinky Boots, Candide and the West Coast premiere of Night At The Nutcracker, and world premieres of Escaping Queens and the major re-working of Lunch.