Anthony Branker facts for kids
Anthony Branker (born August 28, 1958) is an American musician and teacher. He is known for his jazz music. His family comes from the Caribbean.
He was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He grew up in Piscataway and Plainfield, New Jersey. He went to Piscataway Township High School. After high school, he studied music at Princeton University. He also earned master's and doctor's degrees in music and music education from other universities.
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Family and Music Roots
Anthony Branker is a first-generation American. His family is from Trinidad and Barbados. Music runs in his family.
- His uncle, Rupert Branker, was a music director. He played piano for the famous group The Platters.
- Another uncle, Roy Branker, wrote music with Billy Strayhorn. Billy Strayhorn worked with Duke Ellington.
- Anthony's cousin, Nicholas Brancker, is a music producer from Barbados.
Music Journey
Anthony Branker has released many albums. He records with Origin and Sons of Sound Records. Some of his albums include Beauty Within (2016) and The Forward (Towards Equality) Suite (2014).
He leads three jazz bands. They are called Imagine, Word Play, and Ascent. Many well-known jazz musicians have played in his bands. He used to play the trumpet. He performed with the Spirit of Life Ensemble. They played at the Sweet Basil Jazz Club for five years.
Branker has played at jazz festivals worldwide. These include festivals in Finland, Russia, and Lithuania. He also performed in jazz clubs in France, Germany, and New York. He has shared the stage with many jazz legends. These include Terence Blanchard and Gary Burton. He also performed in a musical called Dinah Was.
Due to health challenges, he took a break from playing the trumpet in 1999.
As a Conductor
Anthony Branker is also a talented conductor. He has worked with many famous musicians. These include Don Braden, Jimmy Heath, and Clark Terry.
He conducted music for the film A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina). This music was written by trumpeter Terence Blanchard. In 2014, Branker conducted Wynton Marsalis' "Abyssinian 200." This was a gospel celebration at Princeton University.
He has led the Princeton University Orchestra. He conducted the first performance of his own song, "Ballad for Trayvon Martin." He also conducted music by Claude Debussy and John Alden Carpenter. Branker has led performances of Duke Ellington's orchestral pieces. He also conducted Ellington's "Sacred Concert Music."
Branker has led new musical works for big bands. These include pieces by Bob Mintzer and Jimmy Heath. He has also worked with the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra. They performed Ellington's Far East Suite and New Orleans Suite.
He has conducted many youth orchestras. These include groups in Germany, Israel, and Japan. He has also led college jazz bands.
Teaching Career
Branker is a dedicated educator. He teaches jazz studies at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. He teaches classes on jazz history and composition. He also directs the Avant Garde Ensemble.
Before Rutgers, he taught at Princeton University for 27 years. He was the founding director of Jazz Studies there. He led jazz ensembles and taught courses on jazz theory and improvisation.
He was a Fulbright Scholar. He taught as a visiting professor in Estonia. He has also taught at other schools. These include the Manhattan School of Music and Hunter College. He has given lectures at universities around the world.
In 2008, Princeton University received a large gift for jazz studies. Branker used this to create a special program. It was called the Certificate Program in Jazz Studies. During his time at Princeton, his jazz program recorded many albums. These albums featured different student groups.
Branker has attended many music education conferences. He has also been recognized by Down Beat magazine. He served on the College Music Society's Advisory Council on Improvisation.
Awards and Honors
- Three Gold Medals for Beauty Within, Global Music Awards.
- Rising Star Composer, DownBeat magazine, 2014, 2015.
- Received grants from the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
- Keynote speaker for the University of Jyvaskyla Music Education Research Seminar in Finland.
Discography
- For the Children (RPC, 1980)
- Spirit Songs (Sons of Sound, 2005)
- Blessings (Origin, 2009)
- Dance Music (Origin, 2010)
- Dialogic (Origin, 2011)
- Together (Origin, 2012)
- Uppity (Origin, 2013)
- The Forward (Towards Equality) Suite (Origin, 2014)
- Beauty Within (Origin, 2016)
- What Place Can Be For Us? A Suite in Ten Movements (Origin, 2023)
