The Youth Jazz Orchestra faculty are all professional jazz musicians and experienced educators with individual expertise on saxophones, trumpet, trombone, percussion, bass, and piano. Here are some details on each of the instructors.

Diego Rivera: Director, Saxophone Instructor

A world-class musician, composer, arranger and educator, Diego Rivera has entertained audiences for over 20 years. He currently serves as the Director of Jazz Studies at the Butler School of Music, University of Texas at Austin.

Rivera was born in Ann Arbor, MI and raised ‘just up the road’ in East Lansing, MI. He attended Michigan State University where he studied with Branford Marsalis, Andrew Speight, Ron Blake and Rodney Whitaker. In 1999, he began his professional and touring career with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra on their Big Band ‘99 tour. Since that maiden voyage, he has performed concerts at the most prestigious venues and festivals across the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.

A passionate educator Rivera has presented masterclasses at schools and universities both in the United States and abroad. In 2019 he was awarded the Dortha J. and John D. Withrow Teaching Award, Michigan State University’s highest honor for excellence in teaching and scholarly achievement at the College of Music. He has years of experience involved with multiple youth jazz initiatives and many of his ensembles and students under his direction have won awards and recognitions at jazz events and festivals.

Daniel DuFour: Percussion

Native to the greater Houston area, Daniel Dufour is a musician with extensive performance and teaching experience across Texas. While he has planted roots in Austin, Texas, his work carries him to national and international appearances alike. Daniel earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Percussion at Sam Houston State University and a Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. During his Master’s, he found his home in Austin, Texas, where he continues to perform and teach since 2012. 

As a sideman, Daniel has contributed on many recordings over his career and continues to be a top call for session work. Notable albums include Pete Rodriguez’s Caminando Con Papi (2013), Elias Haslanger Meets Mike Sailors (2024), and Aubrey Logan and Her Bigger Than Average Band (2024). He is also the drummer for a TV broadcast, hosted by Christian Wiggs, called Jazz Tonight that is available on PBS. Daniel is a bandleader and composer in his own right, and has released 4 albums under his name that are available for streaming worldwide.

Daniel’s credits include many festival appearances in his career: Jazz at St. James (Austin), the Corpus Christi Jazz Festival, Jazz'S Alive Festival in San Antonio, the SHSU Bill Watrous Jazz Festival, Utopiafest, the Five Points Jazz Festival (Denver), LuluFest, the Syracuse Jazz Festival, and the Festival De Arte Nuevo (Chihuahua, Mexico). He has shared the stage with many world renown musicians such as Aubrey Logan, Seamus Blake, Andre Hayward, Diego Rivera, Alex Claffy, Joel Frahm, Rotem Sivan, Lynn Seaton, Pete Rodriguez, Gracie Terzian, Michael Dease, Luther Allison, Adi Meyerson, Benny Benack III, Eric Reed, Chase Baird, and Randy Brecker. 

He is currently the professor of drum set at Huston-Tillotson University, where he teaches applied lessons, studio classes, and ensembles. Daniel also instructs privately and has worked as a clinician and adjudicator for higher education throughout the country since 2015.

Daniel can be found most nights playing venues in the central Texas area, but he continues to travel and play around the country in cities such as Los Angeles, New York City, and beyond. He is an artist for Vic Firth Drumsticks, Aquarian Drum Heads, Zildjian Cymbals, and Canopus Drums. 

Ross Margitza: Piano

Dr. Ross Margitza is a pianist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and educator. As a young musician, he studied with his father and grandfather, who were professional pianists in the city of Detroit, Michigan. Ross started playing piano at six years old and trumpet at age ten. He decided he wanted to become a jazz musician after listening to the recording “West Side Story,” by pianist Oscar Peterson.

Ross received his Bachelor of Music from Michigan State University, his Master in Music from Northern Illinois University, and his Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Texas at Austin. He performed with musicians such as Russell Malone, Jon Faddis, Phil Woods, Gerald Wilson, Patti Austin, Wess Anderson, Roy McCurdy, Antonio Hart, Lynn Roberts, and Christian McBride. He also performed with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra, Detroit Jazz Orchestra, Glenn Miller Orchestra and Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. In 2009, Dr. Margitza placed second and won the audience favorite award in the Phillips Jazz Piano Competition. He currently resides in Austin, TX and is the Director of Instrumental Music at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School.