Jessica Ackerley

Jessica Ackerley is a versatile guitarist, composer, and improvisor affiliated with the University of Hawaii at Mānoa as a Graduate Assistant. She has held academic roles as a Lecturer at Grant MacEwan University and the University of Toronto, focusing on music education and mentorship. Her artistic work spans over a decade, with 13 albums as a bandleader and collaborator, recognized in publications like Jazz Times and Wire Magazine. She founded The Brink Guitar Festival in 2019, featuring innovative guitar artists, and has been commissioned by Adult Swim and Mutual Mentorship. A recipient of grants from New Music USA and the Canada Council for the Arts, she has also participated in residencies at the Atlantic Center for the Arts and Banff Center for the Arts.

Her research interests blend experimental music composition, jazz improvisation, and avant-garde performance practices. She has performed globally at venues such as John Zorn’s The Stone and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, collaborating with musicians like Tyshawn Sorey and Miles Okazaki. Her teaching emphasizes mentorship, having guided numerous private students and lectured on contemporary music theory and practice.

Despite no listed scholarly articles, her creative output and festival curation reflect a commitment to advancing modern music innovation. Awards and grants underscore her contributions to contemporary music, though no personal honors are explicitly mentioned. Grants and residencies highlight her role in fostering interdisciplinary arts collaboration.