SMSU Jazz Ensemble to Host Guitarist Mike Dana, March 23-24

Published Friday, March 13, 2026

Mike Dana, guitarist

The Southwest Minnesota State University Jazz Ensemble will present two concerts on March 23 and 24, featuring guest guitarist Mike Dana, a nationally recognized jazz musician, composer, and educator.

Over a career spanning more than four decades, Dana has performed and recorded with many of jazz’s most influential artists and has contributed numerous original compositions to the genre. His visit to SMSU offers audiences a unique opportunity to experience live performances with a seasoned jazz professional.

The concerts will also highlight talented student musicians from area high schools, reinforcing SMSU’s ongoing commitment to music education and community collaboration.

The first concert will take place Monday, March 23, at 7:30 p.m. at Murray County Central High School in Slayton, Minnesota, and will feature the Murray County Central Jazz Band.

The second concert will be held Tuesday, March 24, at 7:30 p.m. in the SMSU Fine Arts Theatre and will feature the Minneota High School Jazz Band and the Marshall High School Jazz Band.

Both concerts are free and open to the public.

This activity is funded in part by a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, made possible by an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the State’s general fund.

About the guest:

Recently retired, guitarist, educator, and composer Mike Dana has been Director of Jazz Studies at Fresno City College from 1990 to 2018. AT FCC, Mike directed the award-winning Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combos, and Vocal Jazz Ensemble. He also taught advanced improvisation, jazz theory, arranging, and jazz history.

His guitar credits include performances with Cannonball Adderley, Gary Burton, Clark Terry, Bob Mintzer, Bobby Shew, Ingrid Jensen, Ernie Watts, Arturo Sandoval, Eric Marienthal, and many others. His commissions, compositions and arrangements for both instrumental and vocal jazz ensemble are widely performed across the U.S. These are published by Belwin/Alfred, Kendor, Jazzlines, UNC Jazz Press, and Heritage Music Press. He recently completed his first wind ensemble commission, for the Fresno Community Concert Band.

Mike’s performing and teaching have taken him around the world. He was a US State Department cultural envoy to Thailand as a member of the Allison Miller Quartet, and will travel to Lebanon, Cyprus, Thailand and China in 2018. Other honors include Grammy Foundation Music Educator of the Year semi-finalist (2016), and Jazz Educator of the Year (CMEA, 2018), and induction into the California Alliance for Jazz Hall of Fame (2018.) Post-retirement plans include lots more composing, performing, and teaching, and traveling with his wife, Julie.

For more information, contact the SMSU Music Program at 507‑537‑7103.