Don Glanden

Biography

Don Glanden is a pianist, composer, educator, and filmmaker whose work spans jazz performance, improvisation, composition, pedagogy, and documentary film. For more than three decades, he has mentored generations of musicians. His former students include five Grammy Award winners, celebrated performers, producers, music directors, and faculty members at universities worldwide.  

Glanden joined the University of Delaware School of Music faculty in Spring 2026, where he directs jazz chamber ensembles and teaches jazz harmony and applied lessons. Previously, he served on the faculty of the University of the Arts from 1996 to 2024, where he was Director of Graduate Jazz Studies and Chair of the Piano Department. Prior to that he served as a full-time faculty member at Temple University. His masterclasses and workshops have been presented at UCLA, New England Conservatory, and the Thelonious Monk Institute. In 2018, he was selected as Visiting Marsico Scholar at the University of Denver, where he led a multidisciplinary residency involving students in music, media, film, and journalism.

As a performer, Glanden has appeared with artists including Donald Byrd, Ernie Watts, Henry Mancini, Robin Eubanks, Randy Brecker, and Patti Austin. His recordings as a leader include Only Believe and Sudden Life.

Glanden's creative and scholarly work connects performance, history, and creative practice. His presentations have been featured by the American Studies Association, the International Association for Jazz Education, and the International Trumpet Guild, while his writing has appeared in DownBeat, Jazz Improv, and All About Jazz. He is the producer and director of Brownie Speaks, a documentary about jazz trumpet icon Clifford Brown that has been screened throughout the United States and internationally, including at International Jazz Day in Paris and the Monterey Jazz Festival. He is currently producing a documentary about legendary French jazz pianist Bernard Peiffer.

Glanden earned a Bachelor of Music in Composition from the University of North Texas and a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from Rutgers University. His principal teachers have included Bernard Peiffer, Sir Roland Hanna, and Kenny Barron. His teaching emphasizes rigorous musicianship, historical perspective, and creative expression, while encouraging students to develop their own distinctive musical identities.