Our instructors.

Bass · Ensemble Instructor · Foundations of Jazz

Chris is a vital figure in the Minnesota music scene and a co-founder of North Star Jazz Workshops. Raised in a musical household and trained by MN Orchestra bassist James Clute, Chris developed his improvisational skills at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, performing with acclaimed artists such as Red Rodney and Donald Harrison.

After honing his craft and earning a McKnight Composer's Fellowship with Motion Poets, Chris shifted focus to family life before reemerging fully in 2006 as a composer and performer. His debut album, New Hope (2012), garnered critical acclaim, followed by notable projects with The Good Vibes Trio and Atlantis Quartet.

His compositions have been performed by big bands and new music ensembles like Zeitgeist, and his recent collaborations include soundtracks, live radio dramas, and teaching engagements at the University of Minnesota Morris.

Voice · Piano · Jazz Voice Lab

Anya Marie Menk is a musician, educator, composer, lyricist, and social activist from Le Center, Minnesota. A versatile performer in classical and jazz voice, piano, and flute, she recently earned her Master's in Contemporary Performance from the Berklee Global Jazz Institute on full scholarship under the direction of GRAMMY-winning pianist Danilo Pérez. She has performed with artists such as Joe Lovano, JT Bates, and Peter Eldridge, and is the 2025 recipient of the Dr. Dee Daniels Vocal Jazz Scholarship from JEN.

Before her graduate work, Menk studied classical piano, voice, and flute for over a decade and earned her Bachelor's in Vocal and Instrumental Music Education with honors in Composition from Gustavus Adolphus College.

Menk has taught privately for ten years, offering piano, voice, and flute instruction for students of all ages. She emphasizes strong technical foundations, global musical influences, and cultivating community and self-kindness through music.

As a composer, Menk writes music rooted in social justice and personal curiosity. Her debut album, Inner Voice (2022), features works addressing gun violence and climate change, and her Berklee culminating project, Of History and Hope, will be released in 2026.

Piano · Past Residency Artist

Kavyesh graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2018 with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies and Contemporary Music. In 2019 he received a full tuition grant to pursue a Master's degree at Berklee's Global Jazz Institute, studying under jazz masters including Danilo Pérez, Kenny Werner, and JoAnne Brackeen, graduating in 2020 with a Master of Music in Contemporary Performance.

He has performed with national and international artists across many genres, including Wynton Marsalis, David Sanchez, Roosevelt Collier, Justin Robinson, Debbie Duncan, Bruce Henry, Nooky Jones, and the Kevin Washington Quintet, among others.

A passionate educator, Kavyesh is on faculty in the piano department at the University of St. Thomas and in the music department at Minneapolis College, and teaches at Walker West Music Academy. He enjoys leading jazz workshops and teaching music for children and youth, and his work takes him across the U.S.

Piano · Ensemble Instructor

Jazz pianist-composer Mary Louise Knutson has been called “one of the most exciting artists to happen to jazz piano in quite some time.” Her warm, inviting tone, broad range of emotional expression, and distinctive compositions have earned her much recognition on the national music scene.

Knutson performs, records, and tours with her group, the Mary Louise Knutson Trio, and freelances with area vocalists, notably Connie Evingson and Patty Peterson. She also performs with a variety of instrumental groups, including the JazzMN Orchestra and the Minnesota Orchestra.

From 2010 to 2018, Knutson toured with trumpeter Doc Severinsen, the former bandleader for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

Voice · Piano · Jazz Singer's Playground

Tommy Boynton is a jazz singer, composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist residing in St. Paul. As an artist and educator, he seeks to welcome all in experiencing and enjoying music free of judgment and shame.

Tommy is a current member of The Four Freshmen, the jazz vocal band that began in 1948 and has toured for over 76 years. Joining in 2015, he first sang the lead melody while playing bass, and for the past five years has sung the second harmony part while playing guitar.

With the group he has performed at premiere establishments including the Cotton Club in Tokyo, the Blue Note in Beijing, the Oslo Jazz Festival, and Detroit Jazz Fest, and recorded with Emmet Cohon, Ken Peplowski, and more. Locally, Tommy teaches at Sarah Janes Music School and MacPhail. He received his BM in jazz voice from the New England Conservatory, studying with Dominique Eade, Ran Blake, and Fred Hersch.

Saxophone · Ensemble Instructor · Foundations of Jazz

Joe is a jazz musician and educator with a rich performance background and a co-founder of North Star Jazz Workshops. He holds a B.F.A. in Jazz Performance from The New School in NYC.

Growing up in the Twin Cities, he shared the stage with local talents such as Javier Santiago, Miguel Hurtado, and Chris Smith. He has studied with Dave Glasser, Jon Gordon, and Tony Malaby, and played with groups like Brass Magic, Zongo Junction, and the Electric Squeezebox Orchestra. His performances have taken him to venues and festivals like SFJAZZ, Irving Plaza, the Telluride Jazz Festival, and the San Jose Jazz Festival.

For nearly a decade, Joe taught combos and classes at the California Jazz Conservatory, sharing his expertise in saxophone, theory, and improvisation, and helped run the Berkeley Jazz Workshops, providing small-group jazz lessons for adult musicians.