Charley Harrison
Lecturer, Director of UCLA Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Combo

Continuing Lecturer; Director, UCLA Jazz Orchestra; Director, Jazz Combo

Charley Harrison, composer, arranger, orchestrator, conductor, and guitarist, has been the Director of the UCLA Jazz Orchestra since 2004. He also became the Inaugural Conductor and Artistic Director of the Hollywood Jazz Orchestra in 2023.

His compositions and arrangements have been performed by some of the biggest names in jazz including: Kenny Burrell, Clark Terry, Marcus Miller, Freddy Cole, Kurt Elling, Cedar Walton, Joe Williams, The Count Basie Orchestra, and The Audio Network. Harrison’s 2006 CD, Keeping My Composure, received critical acclaim, and appeared on the JazzWeek radio charts for 13 consecutive weeks. Charley has previously served as conductor of the Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra, as well as Associated Artistic Director of the Chicago Jazz Orchestra.

Prior to joining the UCLA Faculty, Harrison worked as a composer and orchestrator on several film projects after spending 10 years working as a composer/producer in Chicago’s advertising community, where he created music for such clients as McDonald’s and The Chicago White Sox.

M.M., Composition, Northwestern University; B.M., Arranging and Orchestration, Northwestern University; Berklee College of Music

Ruth Price
Adjunct Assoc. Professor
Daniel Rosenboom
Lecturer - Trumpet Performance
Clayton Cameron
Lecturer - Percussion, Director of Jazz Combo
Roberto Miranda
Adjunct Assoc. Professor
Arturo O’Farrill
Director, UCLA Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra; Professor
Kat De Nicola
Assistant to the Chair - Department of Musicology and Global Jazz Studies Program
Steven Loza
Professor - Global Jazz Studies, Ethnomusicology, Director of the UCLA Center for Latino Arts
Tamir Hendelman
Lecturer - Keyboards (Jazz Keyboard Harmony, Jazz Improvisation and Analysis)
Cheryl L. Keyes
Professor - Global Jazz Studies and Ethnomusicology (Contemporary Jazz, Hip Hop)
Hitomi Oba
Lecturer and Director of Contemporary Jazz Ensemble
Salim Washington
Professor and Chair of Global Jazz Studies
Alison Deane
Associate Adjunct Professor

Explore Other Degrees

Conducting
Graduate study and training in choral, orchestral, or wind conducting
Ethnomusicology
The study of global musical traditions through performance training, research, and field work
Global Jazz Studies
Jazz performance and musicianship courses are paired with African American Studies
Music Composition
Mentorship in the creation and realization of music for concerts, opera, and visual media
Music Education
Preparation for music educators leading to a BA and teaching credential in just four years
Music Industry
A leadership-focused professional degree which prepares students to transform the creative, entrepreneurial, and executive structures of the music industry
Musicology
The scholarly study of the histories, cultures, and critical interpretations of music and music-making
Music Performance
Study and training towards professional performance careers in Western classical music