Tenor saxophonist, composer, and Northwestern University Jazz Faculty member Christopher Madsen has made impressive accomplishments during his relatively short musical career. Madsen is an in-demand figure in both the Chicago and New York jazz scenes, actively performing, writing, and teaching in multiple contexts and venues. Perpetually focused on highlighting those aspects of music-making which serve to individualize him as a student of jazz, he understands that in order to successfully form one’s unique voice, one must have a deep respect and understanding of the pioneers of the art form. Madsen strives consistently to pay homage to those who came before in a way that brings out his own musical personality, thereby continuing the mentor-student cycle that is so vital to America’s original art form. Born in Chicagoland, Madsen made the decision to focus his life and career on music while still in his early teens. He showed a predilection for music at a very early age, becoming fascinated at first with rhythms he heard in music and attempting to re-create them. As time went on, his interest grew exponentially as the other aspects of music (melody, harmony, form, texture, and the like) grabbed his attention and wouldn’t let go. After falling in love with the at once complex and earthy nature of jazz music, there was no turning back and his love for the art form has grown consistently. Madsen understands that jazz, like any other serious discipline, deserves to be studied deeply and treated with the utmost respect if it is to be fully understood. After graduating from DePaul University in Chicago with a B.M. in Jazz Studies and studying with the likes of Mark Colby, Tom Matta and Dr. Bob Lark, Madsen auditioned for the then-relatively new Juilliard Jazz Studies program. He was accepted to the program in 2003 and moved to New York City to complete this two-year post-bachelor’s program. Madsen spent three years in New York, performing with and writing for such jazz masters as Wynton Marsalis, Victor Goines, Loren Schoenberg, Wycliffe Gordon, Kenny Washington, Jon Gordon, and many others. After graduating from Juilliard in 2005, Madsen made the decision to move back to his homeland of Chicago in 2006 and has since been artistically involved with much of the local talent, including the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, Rob Parton’s Jazztech Big Band, and others, and continues to write for New York-based ensembles. Madsen has an impressive discography and can be heard on countless independent releases as well as nationally-available recordings. Most recently, he has played on the Loren Schoenberg Big Band’s 2006 release “Black Butterfly” featuring the vocal stylings of jazz legend Barbara Lea. Two of his big band arrangements were also featured on this album. His saxophone solos and compositions have been featured on recordings by the Juilliard and DePaul University Jazz Ensembles, and in the case of the latter, their 2004 release “Tao Jones” was named after Madsen’s original composition of the same name. Composing music actively for groups of all sizes, levels, and styles, Madsen is a published composer with Walrus Music Publishing. He was honored to have his arrangement of the song “Never Let Me Go” recorded by Phil Woods and the DePaul Jazz Ensemble released in 2007 to rave reviews. He maintains a consistent compositional schedule writing for Chicago- and New York-based ensembles such as Rob Parton’s Jazztech Big Band, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, and the Jazz Museum in Harlem All-Stars. In 2005, the John Hersey High School Jazz Ensemble from Arlington Heights, IL, performed Madsen’s arrangement of “Never Will I Marry” in the final concert stage of the Rolling Meadows jazz festival and came away as Grand Champion. Madsen serves as Professor of Jazz Studies at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, and is responsible for teaching Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Composition, and directing ensembles, and is assistant director of the Northwestern University Jazz Orchestra. He has directed ensembles at New Trier, Libertyville, John Hersey, and Elk Grove High Schools in Illinois, and taught privately at those and other institutions. In January 2007, the John Hersey High School jazz combo under his direction won Grand Champion honors at the Rolling Meadows Jazz Festival. Madsen currently resides in the Chicago suburb of Libertyville with his wife, Melanie, and two dogs.