Jason Kush

Dr. Jason Kush is an Artist Lecturer in Saxophone at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Music and concurrently a Professor of Music at Slippery Rock University. His roles combine performance, education, and scholarly research in music. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) in Saxophone Performance from the University of Miami, a Master of Music in Jazz Pedagogy from the same institution, and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Slippery Rock University.

Kush’s research focuses on saxophone performance, pedagogy, and the intersection of music innovation. He authored a doctoral dissertation on Belgian inventor François Louis and has contributed feature articles and interviews to journals like The International Musician, Saxophone Journal, and The Instrumentalist. He established the Three New Music Consortium in 2013, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering new musical compositions, which premiered Out of this World in 2014.

As a performer, he has toured globally with ensembles such as the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and the New World Symphony. His solo albums include Finally Friday (2023), which reached top 100 on the JazzWeek chart, and Intersecting Lines. He has collaborated with renowned artists like Paquito D’Rivera, Arturo Sandoval, and Barry Manilow.

Kush’s career also includes orchestral work with the Russian National Orchestra and free-lance jazz/commercial performances. He endorses Selmer and Conn-Selmer instruments and the mouthpieces of François Louis.