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Harper will be closed on Monday, September 7, in observance of Labor Day.
Chicago-based saxophonist and composer Arman Sangalang has been garnering attention
as one of the up-and-coming jazz musicians on the scene. His debut record Quartet
(2023, Calligram Records) was awarded Best First Release as Leader by RadioRadioX.
Sangalang's sophomore album Waypoints (2026, Calligram Records) was described by jazz
journalist Neil Tesser as "a revelation and a delight, and a quantum leap into another
orbit entirely.鈥� Throughout his career, he鈥檚 had the honor of sharing the stage with
notable jazz artists such as Jon Irabagon, Dana Hall, Clark Sommers, Bruce Forman,
Sharel Cassity, Essiet Okon Essiet, Sylvia Cuenca, and countless others. His music
has been performed at prestigious venues like the Hyde Park Jazz Festival, Clifford
Brown Jazz Festival, and the Chicago Jazz Festival.
Sangalang holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Jazz Studies (Saxophone) from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where he studied with Greg Ward, Tom Walsh, and Walter Smith III. After completing a master鈥檚 degree at Northern Illinois University in 2022 where he studied with Geof Bradfield, he received recognition for his creative work. Most recently, Sangalang was named a 2026 Luminarts Jazz Improvisation Fellow. He is also an alum of programs like the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Academy, the Boysie Lowery Living Jazz Residency, and the Jazz Institute of Chicago Jazz Links Fellowship. His debut album received grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
In addition to being an active performer, Sangalang is a committed educator. He is currently the Jazz Combo Director at John Hersey High School. While at NIU, Sangalang held a graduate assistantship where he coached jazz combos and taught courses. During the summer he is a teaching assistant at Birch Creek Music Performance Center. He also held positions with ChiArts, Youth Orchestra Salinas (YOSAL), Santa Catalina School, After School Matters, Stafford Music Academy, and the NIU Community School for the Arts.