The Guest Director of 2024 Alberta Jazz Ensemble will be Dean McNeill

Trumpet player/composer Dean McNeill is head of the University of Saskatchewan Department of Music where he teaches jazz and classical performance courses. Dean has been awarded the Department of Music’s Dwaine Nelson Teaching Award, USASK Teaching Excellence Award, Saskatchewan Jazz Festival’s Special Recognition Award, Saskatchewan Choral Federation’s Outstanding Administrator’s Award, a Downbeat Magazine arranger’s award, and, the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal. Dean has been nominated for a SK Arts “Arts and Learning” award and several CD projects that Dean has been involved in have been nominated for various Western Canadian Music Awards. Dean is currently Artistic Director of the Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra and he has be involved in the creation of over 16 CDs most notably six USASK’s Jazz Ensemble ‘Bumper Crop’ CDs (conductor), Edmonton Wind’s 'O Music' CD (soloist: won a WCMA in 2012) and 'The Saskatchewan Suite: The Story of Us' CD/DVD (performer). 

Past Directors of the Youth Jazz Ensemble of Alberta

2022 Ray Baril, Edmonton
​2021 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
2020 - Cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
​2019 - Gordon Foote, Toronto