John Stephens

Associate Professor of Jazz Studies (Piano)

B.M., University of Akron; M.M., Cleveland State University

Sought after for his outstanding collaborative abilities, Chip Stephens can be heard on nearly 40 records and compact discs as a side-man and band leader. As a faculty member at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Mr. Stephens maintains a very diverse teaching and performing career at both the national and international levels. He has performed on four continents with some of the finest names in jazz, and frequently appears as a guest artist and clinician in the United States. A former faculty member at the University of Colorado at Boulder and Youngstown State University, many of Mr. Stephens’ students have received national and international recognition for their work. Chip performed on the Grammy Award winning CD by Arturo Sandoval, Hot House, and the Emmy Award winning sound track to For Love or Country, about the life of Sandoval. Stephens’ performing credits are many and include appearances with Eden Atwood, Michael Brecker, Jerry Brown, Kenny Burrell, Teresa Carroll, Clare Church, John Fedchock, Maynard Ferguson, Cutis Fuller, George Garzone, Greg Gisbert, The Woody Herman Orchestra, Milt Hinton, Red Holloway, Javon Jackson, Ingrid Jensen, Randy Johnston, Steve Kirby, Bill Kirchner, Ernie Krivda, Ralph Lalama, Tony Leonardi, Pete Lewis, Joe Lovano, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Keith Oxman, Tito Puente, Nelson Rangell, Arturo Sandoval, Jack Schantz, Bobby Shew, Howie Smith, Clark Terry, Frank Tiberi, Roseanna Vitro, Bobby Watson, and Nathanial Yarbrough. Mr. Stephens is a Capri Records recording artist.