Composer, arranger, and guitarist, Trevor Dean Stewart is an up-and-coming voice in the Chicago music scene. The compositional technique, harmonic language, and melody writing used in his jazz writing puts Trevor in a great position as he starts his professional career. With respect for the jazz traditions of the past and an openness for the future of music, his arrangements create a dialogue between nostalgia and innovation.
As a young musician, he started out as a classical guitarist and vocalist in Dallas, Texas. This young classical training prepared him to pursue music at Columbia College Chicago. At Columbia, he was able to explore composing for electronic and concert music settings before making the switch to focus on jazz halfway through his degree. Under the guidance of Scott Hall, Trevor took a comprehensive approach to jazz that incorporated playing and studying jazz arranging. He has also studied classical guitar with Norm Ruiz and jazz guitar with Bill Boris. He is influenced by greats such as Sammy Nestico, Thad Jones, and Jim McNeely. These artists, while all different, inform Trevor’s arrangements with a sense of authenticity and appreciation for the past.
Trevor’s arrangements have been played at the prestigious Auditorium Theater in Chicago as the Columbia College Chicago 2022 Commencement Recessional. His works have also been played at the legendary Jazz Showcase by the Columbia College Chicago Jazz Ensemble and Tia Fuller. In addition to arranging and composing, he also performs weekly at the historic Blackstone Hotel as a guitarist and vocalist. He also composes for various high school competition one act plays in Texas.
He has earned a Bachelor's of Music in Composition for Columbia College Chicago and in the fall, he will be pursuing a Masters in Jazz Studies (Jazz Composition concentration) at DePaul University.
As a young musician, he started out as a classical guitarist and vocalist in Dallas, Texas. This young classical training prepared him to pursue music at Columbia College Chicago. At Columbia, he was able to explore composing for electronic and concert music settings before making the switch to focus on jazz halfway through his degree. Under the guidance of Scott Hall, Trevor took a comprehensive approach to jazz that incorporated playing and studying jazz arranging. He has also studied classical guitar with Norm Ruiz and jazz guitar with Bill Boris. He is influenced by greats such as Sammy Nestico, Thad Jones, and Jim McNeely. These artists, while all different, inform Trevor’s arrangements with a sense of authenticity and appreciation for the past.
Trevor’s arrangements have been played at the prestigious Auditorium Theater in Chicago as the Columbia College Chicago 2022 Commencement Recessional. His works have also been played at the legendary Jazz Showcase by the Columbia College Chicago Jazz Ensemble and Tia Fuller. In addition to arranging and composing, he also performs weekly at the historic Blackstone Hotel as a guitarist and vocalist. He also composes for various high school competition one act plays in Texas.
He has earned a Bachelor's of Music in Composition for Columbia College Chicago and in the fall, he will be pursuing a Masters in Jazz Studies (Jazz Composition concentration) at DePaul University.
