Ana Nelson is a clarinetist, saxophonist, composer, and arranger known for her multi-genre diversity in classical and jazz styles. Currently residing in Bloomington, IN, Ana has performed with a variety of groups and artists across the Midwest, including Michael Spiro’s “Descarga 5,” the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, and the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Ensemble. As a recording artist, Ana has appeared on recordings with Bootsy Collins for his remix of the “Indiana Fight Song,” Indiana University Jazz Ensemble performing “Gennett Suite” recorded for WTIU TV, Liberation Music Collective’s Rebel Portraiture, and releases for Oberlin Orchestra and IU New Music Ensemble. In Summer of 2020, Ana Nelson co-founded the Virtual Woodwind Academy, an online program that brings music and education to students of all ages and backgrounds through masterclasses, summer programs, and courses in jazz and classical genres.
Recently in January 2020, Ana was awarded the Earl Hines Outstanding Soloist Award presented by Wynton Marsalis at the inaugural Jack Rudin Jazz Championship in New York. Describing her performance, Marsalis said, “[Ana Nelson’s] playing showed emotional maturity, technical accuracy, harmonic sophistication, depth of understanding, beauty, range, thematic consistency, and someone whose playing moved us, inspires us, and you've got to have an original sound with a lot of feeling…”
Ana performs and collaborates with many groups in jazz, classical, and Latin jazz styles. Ana is a co-founding member of the NelBap Duo, a piano/saxophone duo with Aruban pianist Jamaal Baptiste that specializes in jazz and Brazilian song arrangements. Along with Jamaal Baptiste and members from the Descarga 5, Ana performed at IU’s Jazz in July Series in 2019 sponsored by WFIU radio. Other notable performances include performing bass clarinet in IU Philharmonic Orchestra for Kryzsztof Penderecki’s St. Luke’s Passion with Penderecki conducting, and with IU Jazz Ensemble and guest artist John Clayton for the IU Jazz Celebration in 2017. Highly involved in performing new modern clarinet works, Ana recently performed Daniel Cueto’s Quartetos Criollos with the RCQ Clarinet Quartet in the IU Latin American Music Center’s “Salon Latino” Chamber Music series in February 2020. Ana recorded her debut EP “Wanderlust” in Winter of 2017 under the direction of Walter Smith III, and plans on recording her first album in the Summer 2021.
Ana is currently pursuing a D.M. in Clarinet Performance at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She holds an M.M. in Jazz Studies Saxophone and Clarinet Performance from IU Jacobs School of Music, and a B.M. in Jazz Studies Saxophone and Clarinet Performance from Oberlin Conservatory. Currently, she holds the position of Associate Instructor with the IU Soul Revue as the horn coach, arranging songs in R&B and funk styles. Previously, Ana was the Associate Instructor for the IU Jazz Department, where she directed the IU All Campus Jazz Ensemble and All Campus Jazz Combos. Ana’s principal teachers have included Richard Hawkins, Eli Eban, Luis Rossi, Thomas Walsh, Gary Bartz, Walter Smith III, and Greg Ward. Ana has held a private teaching studio for over 7 years, and teaches students in woodwinds, violin, piano, voice, and music theory.