Paul Dietrich Jazz Ensemble to perform Oct. 25

The Paul Dietrich Jazz Ensemble will perform Saturday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m., as part of the Chamber Music and Jazz at Ripon Series in Demmer Recital Hall of Ripon College’s C.J. Rodman Center for the Arts.

In addition to the evening concert, the artists will work with Ripon College jazz musicians in a clinic at 4 p.m. Both the clinic and concert are free and open to the public, as all Chamber Music & Jazz at Ripon events are made possible courtesy of donations through Ripon College’s Friends of the Arts.

Paul Dietrich, an adjunct music instructor at Ripon College, leads the ensemble, which was established in 2016. The group is known for its distinctive Midwestern soundscape, drawing from both contemporary modern jazz and orchestral music.

“As our world moves further and further into a tech-based, AI-dominated, impersonal space, I think that the connections that we can make through deeply human experiences like sharing music with one another become more important,” Dietrich said. “Anything to connect us as human beings can only help right now.”

The event is sponsored by the Brophy family in memory of Selma Brophy, a participant in the College’s Choral Union and a frequent guest at Ripon College music events.

“I feel fortunate to be performing in honor of Selma,” Dietrich said. “I grew up in Ripon and saw Selma around at concerts when I was younger, but I did not know her particularly well; however, I did (and do) know her daughter, Katherine. I am happy to call her a friend, and she is the one who made this concert happen.”

The ensemble will showcase all original pieces composed by Dietrich over the past five to six years.

“The oldest piece actually has to do with Ripon College — my dad taught music here and retired in 2019, and when he announced that it was his last year, some of his students commissioned me to write something for his last jazz ensemble concert,” Dietrich said. “We’ll be playing that one, plus other music from the last few years, all the way up to the absolute present.”

Dietrich said he encourages audiences to attend the concert to experience the “amazing collection of talent on stage,” featuring 18 musicians from Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison and the Fox Cities. Many of the members teach at institutions such as Indiana University, DePaul University, Lawrence University, Madison College, the University of Illinois at Chicago and Ripon College.

“These are truly some of the best jazz musicians in the Midwest,” Dietrich said.

Dietrich began composing music for jazz ensembles seriously during his graduate studies, where he was surrounded by student groups eager to perform his works. A couple of years after graduating, he secured a monthly gig in Madison, Wisconsin, which further inspired him to write original music.

He has released one album with his jazz ensemble and four others with other smaller groups that he leads. Additionally, he has completed numerous commissions for various schools and organizations and is a two-time recipient of the Greater Madison Jazz Consortium’s Artistic Development Grant.