December 2025 Frequency Fridays: An evening with Jon Irabagon

On the evening of Friday, December 5th, we are thrilled and delighted to feature saxophonist/composer Jon Irabagon (ORD). Joining him on the bill are tubist/composer Tony Zilincik (CMH) and jazz multi-instrumentalist Billy Wolfe (CMH). Doors 7:30pm, show begins at 8:00pm sharp. $10.00 prepaid, $15 at the door. Supporters of our 2025-2026 season include the Greater Columbus Arts Council, the Ohio Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Columbus Foundation. Our partner for this show is A Tribe For Jazz. About the artists: First-generation Filipino-American Jon Irabagon (b. 1978, Chicago) has been influenced by the self-empowering and individualistic philosophies and aesthetic of the great AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) ensembles as well as the historic world-class tenor saxophone lineage from his hometown. Equally adept at composing for rising stars in new music and the most intricate modern jazz ensemble, Irabagon builds on this foundation by adding modern classical and late-period John Coltrane to his compositional base, focusing primarily on mixed chamber ensembles to take advantage of hand-chosen musicians’ voices and attitudes. Irabagon’s main focus is building his own compositional voice, as evidenced by receiving grants and commissions like The Stone at National Sawdust Commissioning Series, an Artists at Albatross Reach compositional residency, the Shifting Foundation, two French American Cultural Exchange grants, a Chamber Music America New Jazz Works grant, a South Arts Jazz Road touring grant, and an upcoming USArtists International grant. Irabagon currently runs his own imprint, Irabbagast Records, to release his own uncategorizable works as well as other cutting-edge, creative artists. Tony Zilincik holds degrees in music composition from Central Michigan University and Bowling Green (OH) State University. He is an assistant professor of music at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio where he is the head of the instrumental music area and the composition area. He teaches music theory, composition, tuba and conducts the Brass Choir and Capital Thunder, the university Tuba and Euphonium ensemble. He is the principal tubist of the Central Ohio Symphony Orchestra, and is a member of the Cathedral Brass at St. Joseph Cathedral in Columbus. He performs regularly with Dr. Tony’s Original Ragtime Band, and the Ceremony Brass brass quintet. He is the E-flat tuba soloist with the Brass Band of Columbus, and the former director of the Central Ohio Brass Band. He has performed with the Vaughn Wiester Famous Jazz Orchestra, and for touring Broadway shows including The Lion King, Annie, and Mary Poppins. He has appeared as a tuba soloist with the Central Michigan University Brass Band, the Brass Band of Columbus and with numerous area high school ensembles. A prolific composer, Zilincik’s works have been performed in Europe and the US. Many of his compositions are published by Cimarron Music Press. Born and raised north of Chicago in Mundelein, Illinois, Billy Wolfe began playing piano at the age of 5 and saxophone at the age of 10. Billy earned a bachelor of music degree from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, where he began his professional career playing with bands such as Vaughn Wiester’s Famous Jazz Orchestra, the Dayton Jazz Orchestra, and the Brian Michael Smith-John Vermeulen Octet. In 2009, Billy decided to pursue a master of music degree from DePaul University. It was during this period that he first began exploring the creative possibilities of contemporary large ensemble music, an interest inspired by his studies with Tom Matta and experiences performing with several Chicago area new music groups. After spending roughly a decade in the Washington DC metropolitan area, Billy recently returned to Columbus where he can be found freelancing with a wide array of Ohio musicians. He currently leads Billy Wolfe Octet and The Tristano School Project as well as co-leading the nine piece MW9 ensemble with Baltimore based trumpeter Leo Maxey and the New Orleans trad/funk inspired District Brass alongside David Agee. Billy is also is a member of the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra, Vaughn Wiester’s Famous Jazz Orchestra, The Rick Brunetto Big Band, The Brad Linde Expanded Ensemble, Joe Duran’s Projections, Will Strickler’s Parallel Structures, and the avant-garde quartet/quintet, “Team Players”.