Pianist, composer, and conductor J.J. Wright is a gifted performer who balances his love of jazz with a passion for sacred classical music. A graduate of the New School for Jazz in New York City, Wright also honed his skills while serving in the U.S. Naval Academy Band. During his time in the Navy he gained valuable experience recording a Latin Grammy-winning album with Dave Samuels and the Afrobop Alliance. Since launching his professional career, he has built up an impressive array of credits performing with such luminaries as Delfeayo Marsalis, Billy Hart, Mark Ferber, Chris Cheek, and others. When not performing, he also pursues his study of sacred music, working as the Director of Music at University of Notre Dame's Sacred Heart Parish and Notre Dame Folk Choir. As a solo artist, he made his debut in 2014 with the trio album Inward Looking Outward, featuring bassist Ike Sturm and drummer Nate Wood. Two years later, he topped the Billboard Classical Chart with O Emmanuel, an ambitious piece based on the "O Antiphons" of Advent that combined children's choir, adult vocalists, strings, woodwinds, and Wright's own piano trio. In 2017, he released yet another large-ensemble album, Vespers for the Feast of Transfiguration. Recorded at St. Peters Church in New York City, it mixed jazz and congregational singing. ~ Matt Collar