Artist
Early in his musical career, internationally respected saxophonist and composer Jeff Antoniuk began making his mark as both a jazz artist and educator.
He was born in Edmonton, Canada in 1965, to a large Ukrainian family. They lived in Benin City, Nigeria for a time and the colorful sights and sounds of that experience have never left him. He began his musical education there, studying classical piano. Back in Canada in his teens, he took up the saxophone relishing any opportunity to play.
After attending Grant MacEwan Community College in Edmonton, Canada Antoniuk swept into the United States like an Alberta Clipper. From the University of North Texas, he earned a master’s degree in jazz performance and West African ethnomusicology. He was touring, teaching and composing before he even graduated.
He then co-founded the Unified Jazz Ensemble, enjoying numerous accomplishments with that group in his 12-year tenure. The quintet became the flagship of the National Endowment for the Arts “Rural Residency” artist-in-residence program. They toured the US and Canada, Korea, Japan and Okinawa and were adjunct faculty at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa for two years. A grant from the Canada Council and studies with Tim Hagans helped Antoniuk mature as a performer and composer. Antoniuk received numerous awards and commissions and worked with talents as diverse as Ray Charles and Natalie Cole, Freddie Hubbard and Marcus Miller.
In 2004, he formed his own quartet, the Jazz Update, featuring some of the most in-demand players on the East Coast of the United States. Collectively, members appear on well over 100 albums, including many critically acclaimed recordings.
