Nathan Poehlke

Nathan Poehlke is an award winning composer, guitarist, and educator in Eugene, Oregon.

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Growing up as a musician in Western Canada, Chicago, IL, and Sacramento, CA, Nathan has nearly two decades of playing and teaching experience. He began playing guitar at the age of 16, quickly progressing to play in the award winning Whitney High School Jazz Ensemble, and to travel to the Philippines teaching guitar curriculum at the BCCL college at the age of 18. Nathan completed his Bachelor’s in Music at 21, studying under Jimmy Smith guitarist Steve Homan at CSUS and William Jessup University.

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As a writer, Nathan was the JEN 2020 Young Composer Showcase winner for his composition “Feeling Sleepy,” performed by the U.S. Navy Commodores band. His other compositions have been featured by the Oregon Jazz Ensemble and Eastman New Jazz Ensemble, with choral works featured at William Jessup University and Bushnell University and large jazz ensemble pieces commissioned for artists such as Vern Sielert. Having the privilege to study with Steve Owen, Dan Gailey, James Miley, Vern Sielert, Dave Rivello, and John LaBarbera, Nathan’s compositions for large jazz ensemble, jazz nonet, choir, orchestra, and other classical chamber groups continue to be performed around the Northwest and sold internationally through iJazzMusic.com.

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As an educator, Nathan currently teaches at Bushnell University, University of Oregon, and has taught at Sierra College and William Jessup University. At Bushnell University, he acts as the ensemble director for the Bushnell Jazz Ensemble and Chamber Ensemble and teaches the music theory and ear training sequence along with other composition and production courses.

Nathan Poehlke completed his MM at the University of Oregon in 2020 studying guitar under Mike Denny and composition under Steve Owen and Paul Krueger.