Jeffrey Rupert
Professor of Music
Director of Jazz Studies
Email: jrupert@mail.ucf.edu
Office: 407-823-5411

Jeff Rupert heads Jazz Studies in the music department at the University of Central Florida. He earned his BM, and MM degrees in Jazz Performance at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University.

Rupert directs the UCF Jazz Ensemble I, as well as UCF Jazz Chamber groups. Rupert also teaches Jazz Theory 1 and 2, and the Evolution of Jazz. In addition to teaching at UCF, Rupert gives master classes and clinics throughout the Middle East, South America, Europe, Australia, and Japan. The UCF Big Band has performed with James Moody, Eric Alexander, Marvin Stamm, Tom Garling, Arturo Sandoval, Bob Berg, Mulgrew Miller, Sam Rivers, Nick Brignola, Rodney Holmes, Michael Philip Mossman, Ralph Bowen, John Swana, Terry Gibbs, Joe Farnsworth, and Harry Allen. In 2005 the UCF Jazz Ensemble I performed a world premier double big band composition by Sam Rivers, commissioned by UCF Music, and UCF African American Studies. The work featured Rivers and his RIVBEA orchestra, with UCF Jazz Ensemble I.

Jeff also enjoys an active career as a freelance tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. Rupert's numerous recordings as a featured soloist include dates with Ernestine Anderson, Sam Rivers, Maynard Ferguson, Kenny Drew, jr., Diane Schuur, Mel Torme, Benny Carter's Grammy-winning recording, Harlem Renaissance (Music Masters), NJ blues band The Fins, and his own quartet recordings, Jeff Rupert , and Jeff Rupert + Dirty Martini, Save Your Love for Me.

Jeff's tour schedule includes performances in Europe, Scandinavia, Japan, the Middle East, South America, Australia, and New Zealand. Jeff is a long time member of Sam Rivers' band, with recent performance and recording at Lincoln Center, for Ed Bradley's Jazz from Lincoln Center broadcast on NPR. Jeff has been a featured soloist at the Chicago Blues festival, the Monterrey Jazz Festival, the Montreux Jazz festival, Montreux, Switzerland, the Montreux festival/Japan, the Lucerne Jazz festival, the Jamaica Jazz festival, The Aruba Jazz festival, Bishopstock, The Pori Jazz Festival, Finland, The Jubileums Blues festival, Hamar, Norway, as well as numerous other festivals throughout the world.

Additional performances include Birdland with Ernestine Anderson, the Jazz Standard, NYC with Kevin Mahogany, Benny Green, Joe Farnsworth and Ray Drummond. Jeff is a former member of the Jaguar International Jazz Series, New Zealand, with Joe La Barbera, Larry Koonse, John Fedchock, and Tom Warrington. Jeff also performs with the Kenny Drew, Jr. quartet. Jeff's quartet remains active, including numerous performances in NYC, including the Blue Note.

"Jeff Rupert has a classic tenor sound, the virtuosity to execute practically any musical idea, and the imagination to make those ideas worth hearing." Ed Berger, The Institute of Jazz Studies.

"From the moment I first heard Jeff Rupert with my band I considered him one of the great jazz players of today." Maynard Ferguson.

"Jeff Rupert, he is dynamite!" Mel Torme.

"Rupert is just the kind of soloist needed to spur a band on to heroic heights." George Kanzler, music critic, The Star Ledger.