Lincoln, Neb.--Camden Smith, a junior music performance (saxophone) major from Lincoln, Nebraska, was named the winner of the 2025 Nebraska Jazz Orchestra Young Artist competition.
“I was absolutely ecstatic,” said Smith of learning he had won the competition. “I’ve auditioned for this competition three other times (this being my fourth) and placed as a runner-up twice, so I definitely was super happy to hear I had placed first. This was also my last year of eligibility since the age requirement states you need to be under 22 by next year’s auditions.”
He will be a featured soloist at their Tuesday, June 10 concert at 7:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel. The program includes “Quintessence” by Quincy Jones, “Delta City Blues by Michael Brecker and arranged by Dave Eshelman, and “Body and Soul” by Johnny Green.
“I entered this competition because I love jazz, and it has given me something to really work up to and challenge myself to grow for,” Smith said. “I wouldn’t have won this award without constant improvement and support from all my mentors and friends. I hope to further my connections in the jazz scene and make more of a name for myself moving forward to grow my knowledge of the music I’ve grown to love.”
Smith has played with UNL’s Jazz Orchestra, Westbrook Saxophone Quartet, Jazz Saxophone Quartet and Wind Ensemble along with Jazz Combos at Nebraska.
Glenn Korff School of Music Associate Professor of Saxophone Paul Haar is excited for this opportunity for Smith.
“I have worked with Camden since he was in middle school. He’s such a natural talent and an amazing person,” Haar said. “It’s wonderful to see it all coming together for him.”
Smith started playing the saxophone classically in 5th grade before learning about jazz.
“I really started to spark interest in jazz in 8th grade when my middle school director Lori Falcone started to teach me basic jazz articulations and recommended I take private lessons with Dr. Paul Haar of UNL,” he said. “I enjoy saxophone because it allows me to express myself in a way that I feel my other actions or words can’t. It also serves as an outlet for a lot of my creative ideas. But most importantly, it allows me to become part of an amazing community that is constantly pushing itself to be better and to evolve, while also respecting the lineage that came before us.”
He is glad he came to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
“I have always been interested in playing both classical and jazz saxophone, and Dr. Haar is one of the few people in the nation and in the world that can effectively and fluently do both,” he said. “His expertise on all saxophones has been incredibly priceless to me. His teaching style also matches near exactly with my personality and my situation, so it has been really easy for me to play saxophone here under his guidance.”
Smith chose to study in the Glenn Korff School of Music because of Haar.
“He has been one of my biggest mentors and role models since middle school when I first started taking lessons with him,” he said. “He has helped me in every way possible since I have met him, and he has been an amazing classical, jazz and organizational teacher to me.”
Other professors have had an influence as well.
“Tom Larson has given me an incredible amount of opportunities to play with guest artists, including Shawn Purcell of George Mason University and Patricia Brennan of Manhattan School of Music,” he said. “He has also taught me a lot about the business side of the music world and how to effectively market yourself as a musician, and he has shown an incredible amount of invaluable knowledge and wisdom. Dr. David von Kampen has been an amazing resource to take inspiration from with all of his groups and his understanding of music and its core building blocks. But he is also an incredible educator and possibly the most efficient rehearsal runners I’ve ever met, so I have definitely tried to take a lot of his habits and translate them into my own life.”
This summer, Smith has some summer music jobs lined up and is looking forward to getting his new project, The Midnight Compass, launched.
“Around six months ago, I had an idea to make a collective of students (undergraduate and graduate) and younger musicians in the scene to go around and play for money through jazz and video game arrangements of jazz that would attract younger audiences into the world of music that I love,” he said.
Smith hopes audiences come to the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra concert on June 10.
“This concert will be an amazing show of the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra’s saxophone section (and myself, of course), and everyone should be there,” he said.
