Chester Jenkins
Chet Jenkins, DMA
Assistant Professor of Music; Director of Wind Symphony and Jazz BandBiography
Dr. Chet Jenkins is the Director of Bands at Cedarville University where he directs the Wind Symphony and Jazz Band. In addition to directing ensembles he teaches courses in conducting, music education, jazz, and applied saxophone.
Under his direction, both the Cedarville University wind symphony and jazz band have been selected to perform at the annual Ohio Music Education Association conference. In 2025, the wind symphony was recognized by the CBDNA as one of the finest small college bands in the nation. A supporter of new music, he has participated in the commissioning of new works for saxophone as well as for the wind ensemble from composers such as Gunther Schuller, Kenneth Fuchs, Steven Bryant, and David Maslanka.
As a saxophonist, Dr. Jenkins has performed at the US Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium in Washington, DC, and at conferences of the North American Saxophone Alliance. Music has taken him all over the United States, to Russia and Belarus, back to his home state of Alaska, and to the Philippines. A Conductor's and Performer's Guide to Steven Bryant's Concerto for Alto Saxophone.
Raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Dr. Jenkins completed his undergraduate degree at Cedarville University. He received his Master’s degree from Ohio University, and his Doctorate from The Ohio State University, where he studied saxophone and conducting.
Education and Credentials
- DMA in Saxophone Performance, The Ohio State University
- MM in Saxophone Performance, Ohio University
- BA in Saxophone Performance, Cedarville University
Scholarly Works
A Conductor's and Performer's Guide to Steven Bryant's Concerto for Alto SaxophoneInterests
- Jazz History
- Composer and musician biographies
- Building Star Wars LEGO sets
- Playing with my five children
Expert Topics
- Conducting
- Wind Literature
- Saxophone Performance
Why Cedarville
Having graduated from Cedarville, I am well aware of the impact that my professors had on me throughout the course of my studies. They helped me not only in the classroom, but as I worked to grow as both a Christian and a musician. I hope to be that same kind of professor for my students now, and continue that great legacy.