Three decades ago, Michael Brockman and Clarence Acox, two local jazz musicians and music educators, founded and became the artistic co-directors of Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra (SRJO), a Seattle-based nonprofit jazz orchestra.
In March, Brockman, who has been the sole artistic director of SRJO since 2020, announced he would be stepping down at the end of the 2025-2026 season, and that a “slow and deliberate” search for a new artistic director (AD) would begin.
Recently, that search entered the next stage for three finalists, in a manner that may seem foreign to those who’ve worked their way up the corporate ladder.
Last weekend, one finalist, Seattle-based trombonist, educator and composer Conner Eisenmenger, guest conducted SRJO during a performance at Benaroya Hall. He led the ensemble through a set of music he curated, composed by jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams.
Until April 2026, all three finalists for the AD position — Eisenmenger, as well as Phoenix-based saxophonist and educator Clark Gibson, and pianist and bandleader Orrin Evans from Philadelphia — will make appearances with SRJO as guest directors. Along with directing the band through a set of music that they hand-picked, they’ll also rehearse the group for the performances, without input from Brockman.
After their guest conducting performances, a hiring committee composed of current SRJO musicians and board members will select the new artistic director based on their concerts, and how they were received by the musicians and audience alike. Like an audition, this public-facing process is standard protocol for hiring new directors for large musical ensembles.
“ How do they work side by side with the musicians? How well do they interact with the audience? How well do they interact with our staff?” Brockman said. “Their communication skills are paramount to being a leader in this position.”
Legacy and change
Since 1995, the 17-piece jazz orchestra has been a regional steward for the tradition of large ensemble jazz through the performance of diverse repertoire and collaborations with iconic guest artists. SRJO performs everything from ragtime to bebop to contemporary jazz, and performed alongside clarinetist Anat Cohen, trumpeter Clark Terry, and musician, composer and arranger Quincy Jones, among others.
While emphasizing notable guest artists, SRJO’s permanent paid band members have always been exclusively top-tier Pacific Northwest musicians. Current band members include critically-acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Jay Thomas, saxophonist and Origin Records artist Mark Taylor, and Ray Charles Orchestra veteran Dan Marcus.
As for the qualifications of the new AD, zip code isn’t as important as the candidate’s musical prowess, ability to communicate and work well with others, charisma on-stage, and experience leading musical groups, Brockman said. The new director will also have to be willing to work with kids to support SRJO’s educational outreach programs, Jazz Scholars and Jazz4Kids.
Notably, while Brockman currently selects or writes most of the arrangements for the band, the hiring committee isn’t necessarily requiring that of the new AD. As Brockman put it, it may prove too difficult to find a candidate who “does everything.”
“ In other words, we're not looking for the next Duke Ellington,” Brockman said.
A promising search
They didn’t expect “The Duke” to apply, but when SRJO began their national search earlier this year, they received a batch of 17 “remarkably qualified” applicants.
The three finalists, who were chosen after a thorough interview process with all candidates, are multi-talented musicians. Each finalist has a unique point of view on the directions SRJO could go to broaden its repertoire and grow its audiences, as is reflected in the music they selected for their guest performances.
Eisenmenger, the first to guest conduct, is a current member of SRJO with a Master’s degree in Jazz Studies from one of the most prestigious jazz schools in the country, University of North Texas. He is a sought-after composer, arranger, bandleader and educator. He also received the ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award in 2022.
Gibson, who is guest conducting in late February, is a jazz saxophonist, composer, and director of education at The Nash, an influential all-ages jazz club and learning space in Phoenix. He will present a program featuring the music of composer and arranger Oliver Nelson and organist Jimmy Smith. A graduate of Seattle’s Cornish College of the Arts, Gibson is a busy performer, recording artist, and private teacher.
Evans, the third finalist, is a three-time Grammy-nominated pianist, composer, producer, and performer with 25 albums as a bandleader. Evans has collaborated with contemporary jazz musicians including Christian McBride and Kurt Rosenwinkel, plus legends like Roy Hargrove. In 2018, he took over for Ethan Iverson in the acclaimed jazz trio, The Bad Plus. Evans will lead SRJO in a program of pianist-composer Sun Ra’s music in April 2026.
'Consistent and powerful arts organization'
According to SRJO Board President Susan Colligan, the new artistic director will be selected in June. As the organization enters a new era, Brockman hopes the ensemble can keep up their performance momentum, add more outreach activities and events, and build a larger audience of supporters.
“ That's my hope for the ensemble, so that it will be stable and can continue on as just a consistent and powerful arts organization that's not in any danger of failing because of one person's departure,” Brockman said.
After 30 years of leading the group, Brockman is looking forward to having more time to pour himself into his teaching role at the University of Washington, performing more often as a saxophonist, and adapting his doctoral dissertation about Ellington’s orchestration techniques into a book.
“ My entry into the world of big band leadership was really accidental,” he said. “At heart, I'm a performer and a saxophonist and a writer.”
The final series of shows of SRJO’s 2025-2026 season, on May 30 and 31 at Benaroya Hall, will be farewell concerts for Brockman, featuring guest artist Christian McBride.
