Ryan Kazda is currently a junior music education major at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is studying trumpet with Professor Charles Daval, Dr. Amy Gilreath, and Professor Tito Carrillo. In addition to being a full-time student, he is also an active musician and educator throughout the Chicagoland and Urbana-Champaign area.
At the University of Illinois, Kazda has performed in The Wind Symphony, The Wind Orchestra, The Hindsley Symphonic Band, The Carrillo Jazz Combo, The Concert Jazz Band, The Latin Jazz Band, Philharmonia Orchestra, Sixth Street Brass, and the ISM Pit Orchestra. He is also the founder & band leader for both The Ryan Kazda Trio and The Lil’ Big Band. Throughout the Chicagoland Area, Kazda has played with the Pete Ellman Big Band and the Vern Spevak Big Band.
In addition to the number of ensemble experiences Kazda has had, he also serves as the National Band Association (NBA) president at the University of Illinois. He has had the pleasure of serving as a college mentor for the High School Leadership Institute hosted by Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser and the International Midwest Clinic the past two years.
As an educator, Kazda has been teaching trumpet and piano private lessons for over six years, in addition to teaching at both Traughber Junior High School and Oswego High School during the summer months for beginning band camp, marching band camp, and jazz camp. Kazda is also a frequent visitor and sectional coach at Urbana High School and Champaign Central High School.
Before attending the University of Illinois, Kazda was involved in various music organizations including the Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage, Illinois Summer Youth Music Camp, and the Birch Creek Summer Academy. Kazda has performed trumpet in Pit Orchestras for Guys and Dolls, Catch Me if You Can, and Legally Blonde. He is also a 3x Downbeat Magazine Student Award Winner and an Essentially Ellington Soloist Award Winner with the Oswego High School Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo.
In Spring 2020, when the Covid crisis struck the world, Kazda was featured on ABC 7 Chicago news for composing and performing an original song titled, “Social Distancing,” encouraging communities to stay safe. His optimism and light-hearted feel-good song hit over 6k views on YouTube. Check out the news story here: ABC7 News Social Distancing