Monks Livestream's Upcoming Shows

Joel Frahm - Tenor and Soprano Saxophone

Ross Margitza - Piano

James Suter - Bass

Daniel Dufour - Drums

Soha Quartet:

Mei Liu - Violin

Chloe Yofan - Violin

Thomas Gougeon - Viola

Katsuaki Arakawa - Cello

Dr. Ross Margitza is a distinguished pianist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and educator. He resides in Austin, TX where he serves as a Lecturer in Jazz Studies/Jazz Piano at the University of Texas at Austin. Growing up in Detroit, Michigan, he began his musical journey under the guidance of his father and grandfather, both professional pianists. He started playing piano at age six and trumpet at age ten. Inspired by Oscar Peterson's recording of “West Side Story,” Ross pursued a career in jazz.

An award-winning pianist, Dr. Margitza clinched first place in the 2024 Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition and second place in the 2009 Phillips Jazz Piano Competition. He has performed alongside acclaimed musicians such as Russell Malone, Jon Faddis, Phil Woods, Patti Austin, Wess "Warmdaddy" Anderson, Roy McCurdy, Antonio Hart, Lynn Roberts, and Christian McBride. His credits also include performances with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra, Detroit Jazz Orchestra, Glenn Miller Orchestra, and Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.

Internationally, Ross has performed in Japan, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Spain, and Canada, as well as major U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., and New York. As an educator, his previous appointments include serving as the Director of Instrumental Music at both Flintridge Preparatory School near Los Angeles and also St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Austin. In 2023, he taught collegiately as the Jazz Piano Instructor at Huston-Tillotson University.

He holds a Bachelor of Music from Michigan State University, a Master of Music from Northern Illinois University, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Texas at Austin.

Join us for a live taping and listening-room concert for Late Nights at Monks | Thomas Wenglinski Trio!

Thomas Wenglinski – Piano

James Suter – Bass

Daniel Dufour – Drums

Originally hailing from Houston, Texas, Thomas Wenglinski is a pianist, composer, and arranger with a penchant for jazz, R&B, and soul music. He came of age in the Austin music scene while studying jazz composition at UT-Austin with local veterans Jeff Hellmer and John Mills. In 2020, he moved to Florida, where he completed his Masters and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees at the University of Miami under Dr. Stephen Guerra. In his still-young career, he has performed with and/or written for artists such as Pat Metheny, Will Lee, Randy Brecker, Lisa Fischer, Anat Cohen, Joe Lovano, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, Kate Kortum, Benny Benack III, Christian Wiggs, and numerous others.

Created by jazz pianist Peggy Stern, LuluFest is an annual installment celebrating local and touring women in jazz and improvised styles. The evening will feature three bands lead by three incredible women. Please see the schedule below. Doors are at 6:30 PM.

7 PM | Peggy Stern Retrospective Band 2026

Peggy Stern – Piano

Danielle Reich – Vocals

Alex Coke – Flute, Tenor Saxophone

Brian Bettger – Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Billy Satterwhite – Bass

Masumi Jones – Drums

During a distinguished career spanning New York, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, and Austin, pianist and composer Peggy Stern has continually explored new stylistic territory. Classically trained at the Eastman School of Music and the New England Conservatory, she has developed a distinctive voice across modern jazz, salsa, Latin rock, and western swing, bringing her own inventive sensibility to each. Her musical collaborators have included Lee Konitz, Eddie Henderson, Machito’s legacy band, and members of Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters.

Stern’s extensive discography includes City Hawk (1985), Lunasea (1992), recorded with Lee Konitz, and Shine On: The Songs of Peggy Stern (2017), a collection of original western swing songs. Her album Z Octet brings together some of her most personal compositions in richly textured arrangements for flute, clarinet, cello, trombone, and rhythm section. Drawing on her classical background and expansive approach to improvisation, Stern continues to create music that resists easy categorization.

Now based in Austin for part of the year, Stern also leads LuluFest, a festival dedicated to presenting women-led jazz bands, continuing a tradition she began with the Wall Street Jazz Festival in 2004. Throughout her career, she has championed musical exploration, individuality, and the freedom to follow unexpected creative paths.

8 PM | Estrella Acosta - Cuba Meets Brazil

Estrella Acosta – Vocals

David Pulkingham – Guitar

Michael Longoria – Percussion

Cuban born vocalist Estrella Acosta is an accomplished and versatile singer-songwriter. Though she never stopped singing the folk songs of her motherland, she is equally at home embracing various Brazilian and jazz idioms. With her warm earthy voice she creates an energetic yet intimate and personal style, rooted in the sounds of her native Cuba. She has left a travel footprint that truly makes her a citizen of the world.

After completing a degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, she set out to pursue her musical dreams in a journey that took her to Rio de Janeiro, New York City and, finally, Amsterdam, where she now resides. Estrella has recorded seven albums for the label eStar, which have won international acclaim. Her album, ‘Alma Guajira - Cuban Country Songs’ (2003), was nominated for a Dutch ‘Edison’ award, and ‘Tierra’ (2023), featuring songs by female songwriters from the countryside of Cuba as well as her own compositions.

Estrella has been a featured artist in several more albums: she sang in bandoneon-player Carel Kraayenhof's project ‘Memorias de Cuba’, which included a CD recording for Universal Records and live concerts at a.o. Amsterdam's Concertgebouw with the Metropole Orchestra. Her festival appearances include the North Sea Jazz Festival, Curaçao Jazz Festival, Madison World Music Festival, World Music Chicago and Sunfest in London, Canada, and venues such as Bimhuis (Amsterdam), Ronnie Scott’s (London) and Perelman Performing Art Center (New York). Estrella has performed with many great musicians, including Toninho Horta, Craig Handy, Edy Martinez, Leo Amuedo and Jovino Santos Neto. In the Netherlands, she fronts ‘Esquina 25’, a band of top international musicians who participate throughout the years in her various projects.

9 PM | McSweeney's Urban Fado Project

Mary Ann McSweeney – Bass

Joel Frahm – Saxophone

Bruce Saunders – Guitar

Adriano Santos – Drums, Percussion

Born in Aptos, California, Mary Ann McSweeney began studying piano at age five and violin at eight before discovering the acoustic bass as a teenager. At just 16, she performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival with the All-Star Band led by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis. Since then, she has built an extensive career as a bassist, arranger, composer, and bandleader, performing with jazz greats including Dizzy Gillespie, Lee Konitz, Joanne Brackeen, and Bucky Pizzarelli, as well as renowned conductors Leonard Bernstein, Lalo Schifrin, and John Williams.

A longtime New York City professional, McSweeney has toured internationally and performed at venues and festivals including the Kennedy Center, the White House, and the Monterey Jazz Festival. Her work spans jazz ensembles, Broadway productions, and orchestral arrangements, with credits including more than 50 Broadway shows and collaborations with vocalist Audra McDonald and performer Chita Rivera. She also spent 12 years on the faculty of Lincoln Center’s Middle School Jazz Academy.

As a composer and bandleader, McSweeney has developed projects including the Urban Fado Project and McSweeney Plays Mingus, while composing for documentary film, short films, and musical theater. Her original work reflects a wide-ranging musical curiosity, bringing together jazz, theatrical storytelling, and influences from across genres.

This project is supported in part by an Austin Live Music Fund Grant of Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment.

Telesmar Sanchez - Guitar

Quintin Harris - Piano

Chris Jones - Bass

Daniel Dufour - Drums

Telesmar Sanchez is a jazz guitarist from Austin, Texas, currently based in Manhattan, NYC. He began his studies in jazz guitar at the University of Texas at Austin under Bruce Saunders, performing regularly with some of Austin’s top jazz musicians including James Suter, Adam Jackson, Cameron Riggs, and Lincoln Center Orchestra alum Andre Hayward. In 2022, Telesmar went on to earn his MFA in Jazz Guitar from CalArts in Los Angeles, where he studied under the renowned guitarist Larry Koonse. During his time in LA, he collaborated with local standouts such as Izaak Weatherwax, Peter Gemus, Weldon Scott, and Joshua Childs. Since relocating to New York City in 2024, Telesmar has quickly become part of the vibrant NYC jazz community, performing with rising talents like Aleksi Heinola, Quintin Harris, Clayton Thompson, Miles Wick, and Eloise Carter Walne.

“At a moment in which young artists struggle to find their place and identity in the “jazz world”, Telesmar Sanchez unashamedly embraces all of the traditional aspects of being in the center of a groove and telling a heartfelt melodic story. Those homespun qualities that combine the folk roots of the music with the artistic re-invention of harmony and melody come together in one satisfying whole in his hands. Telesmar is a brilliant guitarist that plays with his gut instincts, intellect, and heart.” -Larry Koonse