Christopher Collins

Christopher Collins is a Professor and Director of Jazz Studies at Wayne State University, Detroit, while also serving as President and Artistic Director of the Detroit Jazz Festival. He is a renowned jazz woodwind player, celebrated for blending classical, jazz, and techno elements in innovative compositions.

His research interests span Jazz Studies, Woodwind Performance, Improvisation, and Music Composition. His work integrates World Music Influences, Classical-Jazz Fusion, and Techno-Jazz, with a focus on Music Technology and Distance Jazz Education.

He has performed at major jazz festivals globally, including Montreux and North Sea, and received the Brusoni Award in 2011, a milestone for American jazz artists. His collaborations with ensembles like the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Turin Philharmonic 900 highlight his interdisciplinary approach.

• Teaches courses such as Jazztet, Jazz Arranging, and Advanced Jazz Theory at Wayne State University
• Projects include "Detours Detroit" (Clarinet/Harp Quartet), "Electro-Monk, Acoustic-Funk", and "Jazz from the Shamrock Shore" (Irish folk-jazz fusion)