Amy Rowe portrait

Amy Rowe

Jazz Department Chair

Amy Rowe grew up in Glendora, California, and began classical piano studies at age four. She continued her studies under Akiko Hasunuma until 2007. For eleven consecutive years (‘97-‘07) her classical playing was in the honors category from the American College of Musicians National Piano Guild. She placed as a winner in the Southwestern Youth Music Festival competition from ‘99-’04 and the Lighthouse/Bridge U.S.A. Piano Festival in ’99, ’02, and ’03. She performed at the Music Teachers Association of California state convention (’00-’01,’04) and also received the honor award in ’03-’05 for the Southern California Junior Bach Festival. At age 18 she discovered her love for jazz after being exposed to recordings of Bud Powell, Oscar Peterson and various others. Within a year, she was a member of the Blue Note Swing Orchestra at Citrus College and played on a tour to Hawaii in 2009.

Amy received a bachelor of music degree at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach in May of 2011. She has studied jazz with Joe Bagg, Cecilia Coleman, John Proulx, Bill Cunliffe, Benny Green, and Tamir Hendelman. In 2010 and ’11, she was a participant in the Bill Green Mentorship Program through the Los Angeles Jazz Society. Amy has won numerous awards in classical and jazz, including performing at the Kennedy Center in an emerging artist showcase for the 2011 Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival. In 2011 and ‘12, Amy attended Centrum’s Jazz at Port Townsend under a scholarship from Fund-A-Dream where she studied trio with Jeff Hamilton (‘11) and the music of Art Blakey with Benny Green (’12). In September 2014, she was featured in the Young Artist Jazz Series at Catalina Jazz Club featuring Jeff Hamilton in her trio. Amy completed her master’s degree for jazz piano in 2016 on a full scholarship at Azusa Pacific University. She joined the Cypress College faculty in the fall of 2017. Amy maintains a regular performance schedule in addition to teaching, composing, and recording. With much support from musical teachers and mentors, Amy is on the rise in her musical journey.