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Justin Binek

Kansas City Kansas Community College
Kansas City, KS

Justin Binek is an internationally recognized jazz singer, pianist, clinician/adjudicator, and DownBeat Student Music Award-winning educator who currently serves as an Associate Professor of Music Theory and Jazz Studies at Kansas City Kansas Community College. He is a prolific arranger and composer whose works include the jazz-and-classical-influenced Missa Lucis (published by Kerry Marsh Music), which made its Carnegie Hall premiere in 2022. Justin collaborated with renowned vocal jazz educator Diana Spradling on her groundbreaking book, Jazz Singing: Developing Artistry and Authenticity and with Belgian jazz singer and pedagogue Katrien Van Opstal on her upcoming book Jazz Singing: The Mixing Table Method. He is also currently co-authoring the upcoming Third Edition of Richard Lawn's Experiencing Jazz textbook, and he is a featured in-app clinician on Michele Weir’s ScatAbility vocal improvisation app for iOS. Justin has presented clinics at JEN, IAJE, and ISME conferences, his quartet (featuring pianist Ewout Pierreux, bassist Jos Machtel, and drummer Toni Vitacolonna) released the album Songbook in 2013, he was a guest artist at the 2013 and 2016 Standard Bank National Jazz Festivals in Grahamstown, South Africa, and his trio (featuring bassist Micah Jones and drummer Erik Johnson) performed at the 2014 JEN conference. Justin served as the director of the New Jersey Honors Jazz Choir from 2007 to 2013, and he has directed numerous other state- and region-level honors choirs. A 2022 Grammy Music Educator Award quarterfinalist, Justin serves on the faculties of the Halewynstichting Jazz Workshop (Belgium) and the Jazz Harmony Retreat (Iowa). Justin holds a DMA in Performance with a Jazz Studies emphasis from the University of North Texas; his dissertation was entitled “The evolution of Ella Fitzgerald’s syllabic choices in scat singing: a critical analysis of her Decca recordings, 1943-1952,” and is available via the UNT Libraries website. Justin previously served as Head of Vocal Jazz Studies at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia and as Director of Choral and Jazz Ensembles at the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND.

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