Hayes School of Music

Todd Wright is a professor of music and director of jazz studies at Appalachian State University where he has taught jazz ensembles, jazz improvisation, jazz history, jazz piano, and jazz private applied lessons. He received the Hayes School of Music teaching award and was selected winner of a Jazz Composer’s Fellowship awarded by the North Carolina Arts Council. He was nominated to receive the North Carolina Board of Governor’s O. Max Gardner Award.

An active saxophonist, Wright serves as a jazz clinician and adjudicates at festivals (local, state, and regional). He has led student ensembles on five performance tours of western Europe. Wright created Appalachian’s Jazz Vocal Ensemble and directed it for ten years.  He has performed for President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. He has shared the stage with Benny Golson, Clark Terry, Joe Williams, Jack Jones, Rita Moreno, Idina Menzel, Wycliffe Gordon, Eddie Daniels, Randy Brecker, Dr. Billy Taylor, Ingrid Jensen, Sam Rivers, Marcus Roberts, Jason Marsalis, Peter Erskine, Phil Woods among others. He led three of his own recording projects and has recorded with Cyrus Chestnut, Donald Brown, and Bernard Purdie. Wright served as president of the local North Carolina High Country Jazz Society for over a decade and is a founding member and organizer of the annual North Carolina High Country Jazz Festival. He serves as trustee to the local Appalachian Theatre of the High Country and the North Carolina Humanities Council, and has served on numerous other boards. He is a member of the Jazz Education Network. 

He holds an M.M. in jazz studies from University of South Florida, an ED.S. in higher education and an M.A in music from Appalachian State University, and a B.M. in music education from the University of Pikeville. He studied with Gene Schindler, Bill Gora, Willie Thomas, Jack Wilkins, and Chuck Owen.