Emmy Award-winning trumpeter, composer, and educator, Orbert Davis is co-founder, conductor and Artistic Director of CHICAGO JAZZ PHILHARMONIC, a 55+ piece jazz-symphonic orchestra dedicated to multi-genre projects. Davis is also Clinical Associate Professor in UIC's Department of Theatre and Music at the University of Illinois at Chicago. One of Chicago’s busiest and most sought after musicians, Chicago Magazine has named Orbert Davis "Y2k Best Trumpeter in Chicago" and "Chicagoan of the Year for 2002."
The Chicago Jazz Philharmonic (CJP) was born out of an invitation to Artistic Director Orbert Davis from the Jazz Institute of Chicago to “think big” when planning his appearance at the 2004 Chicago Jazz Festival. This performance marked the first time for a resident Chicago Jazz artist to headline the festival, not to mention, being accompanied by a 55-piece jazz orchestra. The scope and scale of the performance was certainly unlike anything the Chicago Jazz Festival has ever witnessed.