Kevin Whalen

Kevin Whalen is the Managing Producer of the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival at the University of Northern Colorado. The largest festival of its kind in the United States, the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival is host to performances by over 250 school groups as well as evening concerts and clinics featuring some of the most prominent names in jazz.  In addition to his duties with the festival, Kevin is adjunct faculty at the University of Northern Colorado as Instructor of Jazz Trumpet. He also manages the operation of the Sunset Jazz Artist Series and the UNC Jazz Camp and is faculty at the UNC Jazz Camp.

An active trumpet player, clinician, and educator, Whalen’s professional experience includes an 18-week and a 3-week tour of the United States and Canada as the jazz trumpet chair of The Glenn Miller Orchestra.  Busy in the Colorado music scene, he is a member of the 9th+Lincoln Jazz Orchestra, the Colorado Jazz Orchestra, and the Wil Swindler Elevenet and performs regularly in a variety of musical contexts throughout the state.  He has performed professionally with Greg Gisbert, Ron Miles, Brad Goode, Alan Hood, Clay Jenkins, Don Aliquo, Paul Romaine, Paul McKee, Ed Soph, Peter Sommer, and others.

A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Kevin received his Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education from Colorado State University and his Master of Music Degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Northern Colorado. While a student at UNC, he was a Teaching Assistant in the Jazz Studies Department and held the jazz trumpet chair of UNC Jazz Lab Band I, which during his tenure was named "Best College Big Band" in the 2006 DownBeat Music Awards, was recognized for an Outstanding Performance in the 2007 DownBeat Music Awards, and which performed in New York City as a featured college jazz band at the 34th Annual International Conference of IAJE.  Additionally as a student at UNC, Kevin was selected as a Finalist in the Jazz Division of the National Trumpet Competition in both 2006 and 2007.