Shell Lake Arts Center

Faculty Member: Jeremy Boettcher

Hailing from the vibrant Eau Claire, WI, music scene, Jeremy Boettcher is a bassist whose prowess resonates on both local and global stages. His journey has taken him to prestigious venues, including the esteemed Jazz at Lincoln Center Doha and Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai.

Guiding his own dynamic trio, Jeremy’s performances pay tribute to the legendary figures of Jazz, carrying their legacy forward with his own distinctive touch. His music emanates a grand, warm, and irresistibly rhythmic aura, creating an immersive experience for listeners.

Jeremy’s musical endeavors have been as diverse as they are remarkable, spanning tours with artists as varied as S. Carey and Delfeayo Marsalis. His ability to seamlessly adapt to different musical landscapes underscores his versatility and musical acumen.

As an educator, Jeremy serves as the Jazz Bass instructor at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, passing on his knowledge and passion to the next generation of musicians. Through his performances and teaching, he continues to shape the future of Jazz while honoring its rich heritage.

Faculty Member: Chris Olson

Christopher Olson has performed as a solo artist, in duos with many of the finest singers and instrumentalists in the Twin Cities, and with a variety of ensembles in Minnesota and Wisconsin for over 30 years. Notable Jazz groups include JazzMN Orchestra, The Freier Department, Explosion Big Band, and the trio, Framework. Chris has shared the stage with many Jazz greats, including Ingrid Jensen, Tierney Sutton, Gretchen Parlato, and Maria Schneider. Chris has taught at several Universities and Community Colleges in the midwest, including 5 schools within the UW System. 2024 will be his 21st year teaching at the Shell Lake Arts Center. Learn more at www.chrisolsonmusic.com

Faculty Member: Pete J. Johnson

Pete James Johnson is a drummer, composer and educator in the Twin Cities – most often seen playing Jazz and improvised music but is at home in a variety of musical worlds. He performs with local artists such as the Zacc Harris Group, Bryan Nichols, Javier Santiago, Omar Abdulkarim, Dosh, Michael Cain, Chris Bates’ Red 5, Will Kjeer, Barbara Cohen, Andrew Walesch, Nooky Jones, Adam Meckler, Aaron Hedenstrom, JazzMN Orchestra, Twin Cities Latin Jazz Orchestra, and Adam Bohanan. Additionally Pete has also played with international artists such as the Bob Mintzer Big Band, Alan Broadbent, Russ Ferrante, Alex Hahn, Alan Pasqua, Bob Sheppard, and 20-time Grammy-Winning producer, Al Schmitt.

As an educator Pete has taught at The College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University, The University of Minnesota Morris, Hamline University, University of Southern California, and has served as a clinician and guest artist at Jazz Festivals around the Midwest. Pete’s primary instructors were Peter Erskine (Weather Report, Steely Dan), Ndugu Chancler (Miles Davis, Michael Jackson), Bill platt (Cincinnati Symphony) Ambrose Akinmusire and National Medal of Arts recipient Morten Lauridson.

As a composer/arranger, Pete primarily composes for television, film and media. He has composed music for the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games, NBC, FOX, Peacock, Amazon Prime, Netflix, MTV, USA, E!, national advertisements and European films. 

Faculty Member: Tyler Lustek

Tyler Lustek is a jazz pianist, composer, and educator from Eau Claire, WI. As a bandleader, Tyler fronts the Tyler Lustek Confluence, which is slated to release its poetry-centric debut album Shmehara: Live at Jazz Central Studios in 2025. Tyler serves on the UW Eau Claire jazz faculty, leads a competitive lessons studio, and directs educational programs for the Clearwater Jazz & Art Festival.

As a student in the long-established jazz program at Eau Claire Memorial High School, Tyler was deeply involved in all aspects of the school’s music department. After completing his undergraduate studies at UW-Madison (B.M. 2020), Tyler earned his master’s degree at Northern Illinois University (M.M. 2022) where he held the esteemed jazz piano graduate teaching assistantship, performed and recorded with the nationally-acclaimed NIU Jazztet graduate ensemble, and was awarded the 2022 Jan Bach Prize in Music Composition.

Tyler is involved with a variety of musical projects around the Chippewa Valley and the Twin Cities, including the avant-garde jazz duet Lustek/Granros, the Chippewa Valley Jazz Orchestra, and Jack Schabert’s Blue Ox jazz groups. Tyler has shared the stage with world-class musicians including Kenni Holmen, Sharel Cassity, Wayne Bergeron, Anat Cohen, Gunhild Carling, Sherrie Maricle, Sean Carey, and Dean Granros.

Faculty Member: Sue Orfield

Sue Orfield is an award-winning tenor saxophonist, composer and educator who tours internationally and has recorded on hundreds of albums. She makes her home in the Chippewa Valley of Wisconsin and leads her own blues and bluegrass groups. She is a longtime member of The Tiptons Saxophone Quartet & Drums and hosted her own TV show, The Sue Orfield Show.

Faculty Member: Sarah Navratil

Sarah Navratil is a Minnesota-born saxophonist, woodwind doubler, artist, and composer now based in New York City. Growing up in close proximity to midwestern natural landscapes and wildlife, Sarah takes compositional and artistic inspiration from nostalgic sounds of the natural world from bird calls and coyote calls to the unconventional sounds of natural artifacts like foraged bone wind chimes. This work translates to her visual art as well. Both areas of her work carry themes of the natural world as well as childhood nostalgia, womanhood, human experience, and are intended to draw closer relationships between humans and the natural world.

Sarah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz and Contemporary Media from the Eastman School of Music. She also studied Saxophone performance and Woodwind doubling under Charles Pillow. During her time at Eastman, she was invited to perform in Saxology, a group of top selected saxophone students formed in 1980. She performed with The Eastman Jazz ensemble, where she was recognized by the DownBeat Student Awards for outstanding graduate big band performance under the direction of Christine Jensen in 2024. In the 2023 Chamber Jazz Concert, her piece was featured with Bassist Rueben Rogers. Sarah was also a member of Eastmans Empire Film and media ensemble in 2024 where she accompanied acts like Rene Elise Goldserry and performed in the live to picture screening of La La Land in Kodak Hall with Emmy winner Mark Watters. 

Sarah is a member of the Aaron Ouellette Quintet, a group that was awarded full scholarship to attend the JAS Aspen Small Group Session in Aspen Colorado where they worked closely both recording and performing original music with Brian Lynch. She has also performed at and bandled at numerous venues and festivals. Most notably the Rochester International Jazz Festival, Twin Cities Jazz Festival, Rochester Women in Music Festival, Nazareth College women in music festival, Eau Claire Jazz Festival, Orchestra Hall, and the Dakota. 

As a passionate advocate for underrepresented identities in jazz, Sarah has organized and facilitated many events and panel discussions on the topic of patriarchy in jazz and performances celebrating identity in the jazz community. This includes curating and bandleading non-male dominated groups for the 2022 Eastman Chamber jazz concert, 2022 Nazareth College Women in Music Festival, and the 2022 Rochester Women in Music Festival where she organized and moderated panel discussions centering gender minorities in jazz featuring speakers like Roxy Coss and Ingrid Jensen. Sarah is also a member of the Women in Jazz Organization where she worked closely with saxophonists Camille Thurman and Maria Grand. She continues her advocacy through continued efforts of community engagement, organized events, and the promotion of underrepresented communities in jazz. 

Faculty Member: Scott Agster / Trombone