Ashlee Varner
Position
Associate Professor
Affiliated Departments
Telephone
617-747-6653
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Ashlee Varner is a pianist and vocalist from Pennsylvania. She has toured throughout the world with numerous groups and is best known for her unique vocal arrangements. In 2014, she won DownBeat magazine’s award for Best Graduate College Jazz Vocal Soloist. Her latest recording work is featured on Kenneth Brown’s album, 3 Down, produced by Donald Brown and featuring Jeremy Pelt on trumpet and Greg Tardy on sax. The album has received international radio play (France, England, and the U.S.) and appeared at no. 27 in JazzWeek’s Top 50 chart.
Career Highlights
- Performance with Kenneth Brown's So What Band
- Background vocalist for the Colorado Symphony Orchestra
- Recordings include 3 Down by Kenneth Brown
- Studied with Melissa Malde, author of What Every Singer Needs to Know About the Body, and Donald Brown (former pianist for Art Blakey, producer for Kenny Garrett)
- Clinician/adjudicator for Denver School of the Arts, National Association of Teachers of Singing, Metropolitan State University of Denver's Choral Celebration, Monterey Jazz Festival Summer Camp, and Greeley Jazz Festival
Awards
- DownBeat magazine's Best Graduate College Jazz Vocalist
- DownBeat magazine's Best Graduate College Large Ensemble
- Departmental award for Instrumental Music, Lee University
In Their Own Words