Dave Schumacher

Director of Jazz Workshops

David Schumacher, Director of NJYS Jazz Workshop, is a Chicago native who has been a touring musician and educator for over 35 years. At age 23, Schumacher started his career with the legendary Jazz master, vibraphonist Lionel Hampton. In 1990, he joined Harry Connick, Jr. as an original member of Connick’s orchestra for the next 19 years. Schumacher has toured and/or recorded with many world- class jazz artists including T. S. Monk On Monk, Tom Harrell Octet and Big Band, Art Blakey Big Band, the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Dizzy Gillespie, and Mel Tormé, among many other jazz greats.

Schumacher has impressed audiences in over 460 cities in 41 countries on 5 continents on the live stage and on countless major television broadcasts. In 2013, Dave was hired as the first Director of Jazz Studies for the New Jersey Youth Symphony and was for the next five years instrumental in the development of its combos and workshop program and bringing jazz to the NJYS community. Currently, as well as his new role as Director of NJYS Jazz Workshops, Schumacher is a faculty member at the Wharton Performing Arts School, teaching saxophone, clarinet, and improvisation. As a composer and leader, Schumacher has three CD’s to his credit and he continues to perform as a freelance musician. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Rutgers University and a Master of Music in Jazz Performance from New Jersey City University.