Andrew Wagner/
Alex De Lazzari Quintet

Sunday May 31 • RWJBarnabas Plaza Stage @ 12pm

Andrew Wagner is a trumpet player from the NY/NJ metropolitan area and a graduate of William Paterson University, where he studied with trumpet master Jeremy Pelt. After listening to a recording of Clifford Brown in high school, he pursued his passion. Andrew is a recipient of the James Moody scholarship and has played and led his bands at various clubs around the city such as the Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club, the Django, Smalls, Ornithology Jazz Club, Cellar Dog and many more. Andrew has performed with musicians such as Winard Harper, Joe Farnsworth, Nat Reeves, Jerry Weldon, Lonnie Plaxico, Mike LeDonne and more. Andrew currently keeps a busy schedule teaching and playing in the NY/NJ area. 

Alex De Lazzari is emerging as one of New York’s strongest young voices on the tenor saxophone today. Originally born in Italy, he and his family moved to Northern Virginia in 2008, where he first picked up the clarinet and later the saxophone. After graduating from William Paterson University in 2021 where he studied with Vincent Herring, Harold Mabern, Rich Perry, and Mike LeDonne, Alex began to gain his footing in the New York Jazz scene. He has performed with the likes of Savion Glover, Winard Harper, the Mingus Big Band, and James Zollar, and performs on a regular basis at venues such as the Blue Note and Smalls Jazz Club. Alex also holds a Master’s Degree from Montclair State University (2024), where he studied with Bruce Williams. In addition to his rigorous performance schedule, Alex works as an educator, both in the public schools, and as a private instructor. As a part of the Paterson Music Project and Jazz House Kids, he finds it extremely important to impart a love for music to the next generation.