Atlanta Jazz Hero
Sam Skelton doesn’t just keep himself firmly planted in the worlds of jazz and classical music. The veteran educator has played an essential role in opening doors between these realms, creating opportunities for young jazz musicians to learn and perform. While working as director of jazz studies at Kennesaw State University, he launched two new programs, serving as artistic director of both the Georgia Symphony Orchestra Jazz Ensemble and the Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra Jazz Ensemble.
“It just made sense to create an environment for kids to experience jazz in a safe and low-pressure setting,” Skelton told Mike Shaw for an article in ArtsAtl. Shaw writes that Skelton’s goal “was to provide young musicians with a space to experiment with improvisation and explore historically significant jazz works. Today, GYSO Jazz is a thriving ensemble that performs two to three concerts per season and offers combo opportunities for its members.”
The Marietta Daily Journal writes that “under the masterful direction of Sam Skelton, GSO Jazz! and GYSO Jazz have become cornerstones of musical excellence, community engagement, and artistic inspiration. From the swinging sounds of big band classics to cutting-edge compositions inspired by video games and anime, these ensembles have redefined what it means to bring jazz to life in Georgia.”
With a jazz trumpeter grandfather, Skelton grew up in a musical family. He started playing saxophone in fifth grade and by middle school he was a jazz fanatic. Graduating summa cum laude with a degree in jazz studies from Georgia State University, he continued his saxophone studies with Kenneth Radnofsky at Boston University in 1991 focusing on classical saxophone and music education.
As a woodwind doubler, Skelton is well versed in many genres. His grasp of saxophone, clarinet, and flute has enabled him to remain busy in live performance as well as in the studio, performing and/or soloing with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony, and the Atlanta Pops, among many other ensembles. But it’s his ongoing work providing training and opportunities for rising musicians that make Skelton a 2026 Jazz Hero.
In the words of the Marietta Daily Journal, under Skelton’s masterly direction “GSO Jazz! and GYSO Jazz have become cornerstones of musical excellence, community engagement, and artistic inspiration…These ensembles have redefined what it means to bring jazz to life in Georgia.”
—Karla Harris, 2025 Atlanta Jazz Hero
