Joel Linscheid is a saxophonist, educator, and composer currently based in Rock Island, Illinois, where he has served as Director of Jazz Studies and Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Augustana College since 2021.
As a music educator, Linscheid has over 15 years of experience teaching students of all ages and ability levels. From 2013-2017, Joel served as Instructor of Music at Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas. He has also taught at the University of Colorado (Boulder), Hutchinson Community College, and Friends University. Joel has served as a guest artist and/or clinician at numerous colleges and jazz festivals, including University of Missouri Jazz Festival, Hutchinson Community College Jazz Festival, Wichita State University, SWOSU Jazz Festival, Texas Tech University Jazz Festival, and Knox College. He has presented research and educational workshops at the Jazz Education Network Conference and Illinois Music Education Association Conference.
Linscheid performs frequently in a variety of musical settings, from jazz to classical to pop. He has previously been active on the music scenes in Boston, Denver, Kansas City, and Wichita, and has worked for Holland America Cruise Lines. From 2012 to 2013, he toured the U.S., Canada, and Japan and recorded an album with The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra. Joel has performed in educational or professional settings with many notable musicians, including Dave Douglas, Bobby Watson, Dave Holland, Brad Leali, Allen Vizzutti, Wycliffe Gordon, Tanya Darby, Jerry Hahn, Michael Feinstein, Johnny Mathis, The Temptations, and The Four Tops. He has also worked with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, Music Theater Wichita, and the Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony Orchestra.
Linscheid received his D.M.A. in jazz performance with a minor in musicology from New England Conservatory, where he studied with Jerry Bergonzi, Donny McCaslin, Miguel Zenon, and Mark Turner. He received his M.M. in Jazz Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado at Boulder and B.A. in Music with K-12 Education Certification from Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas.