Meet the Team

Meet the dedicated team behind the Cincinnati Jazz Academy—passionate educators, musicians, and leaders committed to empowering the next generation through the transformative power of jazz.

  • Ralph DiSylvestro is a jazz trumpeter from Philadelphia, PA where he studied

    with Terell Stafford at Temple University as an undergraduate. He went on to

    receive a Masters in Music at Northern Illinois University. During his eclectic multi-

    instrumental career, he has had the opportunity to create music with a number of

    prominent musicians as a lead trumpeter, soloist, pianist, composer, arranger and

    recording artist in the Philadelphia/New York Latin music scene. Musicians include,

    Dick Oatts, Jon Faddis, Conrad Herwig, Dannis Mackrel, Tim Warfield, John Swana,

    Donald Harrison, Bobby Watson, Jimmy Heath, Derek Hodge, Rodney Green, Claudio

    Roditi and Bobby Shew to name a few. From international jazz tours in Germany and Peru to national off-Broadway tours

    and performances at Lincoln Center, Dizzy’s, Smoke and other prominent jazz clubs, Ralph’s career has provided many

    valuable and rewarding experiences that he has used to educate the next generation of burgeoning jazz students as he has

    maintained his teaching career steadily since 1998.

    In addition to his responsibilities x artistic director of the Cincinnati Jazz Academy and a professor at Xavier University, you

    can see Ralph perform throughout Cincinnati in the Blue Wisp Big Band, The Original Farm League Big Band, The Cincinnati

    Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, and a number of other groups, including his own as a leader: The Cincinnati Jazz Messengers –

    A group dedicated to performing the music of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers as well as some original compositions.

  • Brandon Graves is a music educator, performer, and arts leader committed to expanding access

    to high-quality, student-centered music education. A certified K–12 music and theatre educator,

    he has taught chorus, band, and music appreciation across multiple school districts and was

    named Teacher of the Year for the 2021–2022 academic year. Brandon has revitalized and built

    music programs at the middle and secondary levels, including founding a district-wide middle

    school honors choir and developing new theatre and choral initiatives.

    Outside of the classroom, Brandon maintains a rigorous schedule of performing in community groups while still conducting and presenting research on various topics relating to equity, inclusion, and access.

    He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Management (Arts Administration focus) from Wayne

    State University, a Master of Music in Music Education from Converse University and a Bachelor

    of Arts in Music Education from North Greenville University.


  • Quentin Coleman has been the Music Manager at the Cincinnati Jazz Academy since 2021. He assists in inspiring Cincinnati Public Schools students to reach their artistic potential. He firmly believes in the power of music to strengthen Cincinnati communities and is passionate about giving back to the communities that have served him so well.

    Quentin graduated from Clark Montessori High School in 2016 and attended The University of Cincinnati Blue Ash for Broadcast Journalism. While in high school, he played flute and transitioned into playing the guitar during his sophomore year. Reconnecting with his high school community, Mr. Coleman is now the Director of Alumni Affairs at Clark Montessori High School. His duties there include reaching out to Clark Montessori music alumni and making them aware of the thriving music program activities at the school. He also leads the Clark Montessori Alumni Band where recent and past graduates come together to play classic jazz repertoire.