Saxophone with CJ Z.

CJ Ziarniak is a jazz saxophonist and educator originating from the Rochester, NY area. He graduated in 2017 with a Bachelors in Jazz and Contemporary Media Degree from the prestigious Eastman School of Music. CJ has been active on the jazz scene since an early age. He played in a variety of selective groups in high school, including the Monroe High School All-County Jazz Ensemble and the Monroe High School All-County Concert Band. He has been a dedicated member of the Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra, as well as taking lessons and classes throughout high school at the Eastman Community Music School. CJ was a 2013 recipient of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival Jazz Scholarship. He has performed at many local venues, including the Rochester International Jazz Festival, local country clubs and café’s, the State Street Bar and Grille, and on the stage of Kodak Hall at the Eastman Theatre. At the collegiate level, CJ has been a 3 year member of the Eastman Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Bill Dobbins, performing in a variety of places including Dizzy’s Coca-Cola Club in New York City, and 2 concerts at the Tokyo Jazz Festival as part of the Eastman Jazz Sextet in the summer of 2017. He has recorded two CD’s of his own, and has been featured on multiple records of all genres. He currently plays in a multitude of different groups, playing gigs all over the Western New York area. He has had the wonderful opportunity to work with and study from the Eastman Jazz Faculty, including his private teacher Charles Pillow.