EDUCATION ASSOCIATE
Quinn Walker is a Portland-based trumpet player, composer, arranger, and educator whose work bridges the traditions of jazz with forward-looking, genre-expanding ideas. Active as a bandleader, collaborator, and educator, Quinn has become a notable presence in the Portland jazz community.
He leads several groups, including the Quinn Walker Group and bigSMALLband, an eight-piece ensemble featuring his writing for small big band and voice. He also co-leads the Blue Butler Big Band with Paris Butler, the Walker-Barber Group with David Barber, and his Latin quartet. His debut album, The Trail, was released in 2024 on the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble (PJCE) label.
As a composer and arranger, Quinn writes regularly for his own projects and has contributed to multiple PJCE initiatives. While completing his master’s degree at the University of Oregon, he was invited to arrange for GRAMMY-winning bandleader Ulysses Owens Jr. Quinn's big-band arrangements have been performed by ensembles across the region, including the University of Oregon, Portland State University, Grant HS, Lake Oswego HS, Prairie HS, and Mt. Tabor MS.
Quinn is an active educator in the Portland area. He teaches trumpet and jazz ensembles at Portland State University, Mt. Hood Community College and Clackamas Community College. He is artist-in-residence at Mount Tabor Middle School and Roosevelt High School, an Education Associate at PDX Jazz, and supports the jazz education program at Grant HS.