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BIOGRAPHY
Jackson Gearing is a composer, conductor and tubist currently based in Kansas City. He has written music ranging from large wind ensembles and orchestras, to solo and chamber instrumental works, and to art songs for voice and colorful accompanying instruments. His newest large ensemble work, Inundation for wind symphony, was recently awarded winner of the 48th Annual Festival of New American Music and has been performed multipled times in Sacramento. Jackson also won the Outstanding Student in Composition award and Outstanding Performance of a Student Composition award from the Lamont School of Music, the latter from his popular brass ensemble work, River, recently debuted in New York City with the NYC Brass Choir.
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Jackson regularly participates in acclaimed summer music festivals, premiering his works at New Music On the Point in Vermont, the VIPA Composition Festival in Spain, and the Sofia Symphonic Summit in Bulgaria. In February of 2024, he was an artist in residence at the Nes Artist Residency in Skagaströnd, Iceland. Jackson was also composer in residence for the 2024-25 Volker Brass Quintet at the UMKC Conservatory.
His music has spanned seven countries, including the premiere of his string quartet, Thaw by the Mivos Quartet in Valencia, Spain; his first orchestral premiere of Moskstraumen with the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra in Bulgaria; and an his art song, A Persuasion, performed by the Kandinsky Society, an orchestra based in Yerevan, Armenia. Jackson also writes electroacoustic music an performs collaboratively with peers on a regular basis. Jackson is currently guided by Chen Yi in his compositional works, and his previous instructors include Yotam Haber, Sean Friar, and Nathan Hall.
PERFORMANCE
EXPERIENCE
​Jackson is regularly called upon to lead and conduct weekly rehearsals of contemporary music at the UMKC Conservatory, assisting with the UMKC Composers' Guild Concert Series. In his undergraduate years, Jackson took a prominent leadership role in organizing and recruiting members of the Lamont brass department to form the Lamont Brass Choir, whereupon he led weekly rehearsals conducting groups of nine or more musicians with the goal of performing a specific work.
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As a tubist, Jackson has performed in large ensembles, chamber groups, and given solo recitals. His graduate recital in Spring of 2025 featured, among his original compositions, Bach's Suite No. 2 in D minor and selections from Dan Schnyder's Art of the Duo album. In the Summer of 2025, he took a prominent role in performing Julius Eastman's Gay Guerrilla. He also enjoys performing with the UMKC Free Improvisation Ensemble. Jackson's previous instructors include Jarret McCourt, Warren Deck, Kathleen Brantigan, and Tom Gregory.
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TEACHING
EXPERIENCE
​Jackson is passionate about the pursuit of knowledge and celebrating music education and appreciation. He has given numerous lectures all around the world at universities and festivals covering advanced musical concepts ranging from microtonality to analyses of late 20th century composers like Messiaen, Xenakis, and Silvestrov. He has also given composition masterclasses at the UMKC Conservatory Composition Forum. Jackson also has experience in teaching private composition lessons, mentoring undergraduate composition students at UMKC Conservatory covering aesthetics, orchestration, engraving, and musical leadership. In the past, Jackson has also given private tutoring to undergraduate students in music theory and musicology.
Jackson will occasionally assist with freelance engraving work. In December of 2025, Jackson was an integral member in engraving a 90-minute 53-TET oratorio written by Christopher Mohr utilizing Dorico 6.​​​