Cassio Vianna

Cassio Vianna is the Director of Jazz Studies and Assistant Professor of Music at Pacific Lutheran University where he directs the University Jazz Ensemble and teaches jazz music courses. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Dr. Vianna is a composer, pianist, arranger, and educator whose work reflects the broad range of musical and cultural influences he has received during his years of training. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, a Master of Music degree from Western Oregon University, and a Doctor of Arts degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Northern Colorado, where he studied jazz composition with David Caffey.

Dr. Vianna has been featured as a performer/clinician at festivals and conferences in Latin America and across the U.S. He has presented at the Midwest Clinic, Jazz Education Network Annual Conferences, International Composers Symposium, NAfME Northwest and WMEA Conferences. Vianna is also a very active clinician with high school and college bands.

In 2015, he traveled to China to perform and to teach a two-week program at the Guangxi Arts Institute (Nanning Provence). Before his appointment at PLU, Dr. Vianna was on the faculties at Umpqua Community College and Western Oregon University.

In recent years, Dr. Vianna’s compositions for jazz ensemble have received national recognition, including awards from the National Band Association, Ithaca College Jazz Composition Contest, Jazz Education Network, and the International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers (ISJAC).  Dr. Vianna’s compositions and arrangements have been performed by artists such as Chris Potter, Martha Reeves, Tony Kadleck, Greg Gisbert, Ernie Watts, Danny Gottlieb, Clay Jenkins, Brad Goode, the United States Army Field Band (Jazz Ambassadors), the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival All-Star Big Band, Chuck Owen’s Jazz Surge Band, the Colorado Jazz Repertory
Orchestra, and the UNC Jazz Lab Band I, among others.

Vianna’s compositional styles range from popular music and Brazilian jazz to classical chamber pieces and works for large jazz ensembles. His most recent CD, the album Infância (2017, Teal Creek Music) features his original compositions for jazz orchestra, which are published by UNC Jazz Press.

When not teaching or composing, Dr. Vianna enjoys scoping out the best coffee and exploring the outdoors with his family.