Abram Collier is a saxophonist, flutist, clarinetist, and vocalist based in Chicago

Both a performer and educator, Abe holds a Bachelor of Music in music education & performance from Nazareth University of Rochester, NY, as well as a Master of Music in jazz studies from Northwestern University. He has studied under the likes of Victor Goines, Derrick Gardner, and Rob Dixon, and has shared the stage with Josh Groban, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, and more. Throughout his performance career, Abe has performed for audiences of over 2,000 people, and in a wide variety of settings, including orchestral concertos, pit orchestras, solo recitals, and as bandleader and sideman in both small jazz ensembles and big bands around the Rochester and Chicago areas. Nowadays, Abe challenges himself by pursuing new avenues, frequently writing his own arrangements of classic songs and composing his own original music that allows him to both play and sing on the bandstand.

Accustomed to both classical and jazz styles, Abe performs and teaches both ends of the musical spectrum and everything in between. Abe has led students to success in school music ensembles and community groups, in auditions and solo performances, and generally playing the music and styles that they love the most. Whether playing as a hobby or something more, Abe is willing and ready to help students meet their musical goals and have fun in the process. In his free time, Abe likes to bike outdoors, and to explore small towns he’s never been to before.

Abe looks forward to working with the woodwind students at the JESM and to help them cultivate a love for music in their everyday lives!