David Springfield Portrait

David Springfield

Director of Jazz Studies

  • Master of Music
    Eastman School of Music
David Springfield, Assistant Professor and Director of Jazz Studies at Valdosta State University, teaches jazz piano, improvisation, arranging, combos and jazz history. He is also a member of the Faculty Jazz Combo and directs the VSU Jazz Ensemble. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Trombone Performance and a Master of Music in Jazz Studies, both from the Eastman School of Music. His principal teachers were Rayburn Wright, Bill Dobbins and Fred Sturm (jazz) and John Marcellus (trombone). Mr. Springfield has previously been a faculty member at Eastman, Aarhus University (Denmark), Georgia Southern University and Armstrong Atlantic State University. Since 2004, he has been the jazz instructor for the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program.

Mr. Springfield is an active performer both as a pianist and trombonist. He has performed with jazz artists Randy Brecker, Clark Terry, Lee Konitz and Jerry Bergonzi. He has appeared with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Savannah, Charleston and Jacksonville Symphony Orchestras. His international performing experience includes three tours of Japan with the Eastman Wind Ensemble and a production of West Side Story in Europe. He performs with the Savannah Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Composer’s Octet and has appeared with the Georgia Jazz Educators Big Band at the annual GMEA conferences. With the chamber group, Maharlika Trio, Mr. Springfield has performed at national conferences of the College Music Society and the North American Saxophone Alliance.

Mr. Springfield has had his compositions and arrangements performed by such artists as Branford Marsalis, John Abercrombie, Phil Woods, Allen Vizzuti and Joseph Alessi. He received a Downbeat magazine award for arranging and was a finalist in the 1996 International Thad Jones Competition, sponsored by the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra. He was the principal arranger for Klüvers Big Band and his works appear on nine recordings by the band. In addition to his work as a jazz arranger, Mr. Springfield has written for concert band, symphony orchestra, brass quintet and trombone choir. His music has been performed throughout the United States and Europe and is published by Kendor Music and UNC Jazz Press. Recent arrangements have been performed by saxophonist Kirk Whalum with the Columbus (Ohio) Jazz Orchestra and on the latest CD by Sherrie Maricle and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, Live at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.