• strategic partnerships 
• philanthropy
• programs and initiatives requests

Dr. Connie Frigo is an arts leader, professor, international soloist and chamber musician, speaker, founder of numerous festivals, and most recently spent 12 years as an applied professor of music (saxophone), and a community engagement arts research fellow, at the University of Georgia. She is a sought-after presenter on topics relating to professional development, curiosity, and creativity, and is a steadfast organizer of interdisciplinary collaborations that utilize the creative process and cultural humility to build sustainable relationships that strengthen the fabric of a community.  

Highlights of Connie’s international career include six years with the premiere U.S. Navy Band, Washington, D.C., a national position she won as a junior in college; seven years touring nationally as the baritone saxophonist with the New Century Saxophone Quartet; and faculty positions at the Universities of Georgia, Tennessee, Maryland, and Ithaca College. She is a Fulbright Scholar to the Netherlands. In recent years, she has traveled to Brazil, Italy, Russia, and Panama to perform and teach.  

Connie is the co-founder and former director of the Athens Hip Hop Harmonic, a collaboration between the local Hip Hop community and the University of Georgia School of Music that paired nine Hip Hop artists and university composers to co-create new genre-bending music; involved five ensembles (over 140 students) advised by faculty and staff; performed four free public shows reaching over 1200 community members; produced and published eight recording sessions and videos; developed and launched a public website; produced community panel discussions; and presented at the a2ru and College Band Directors National Association national conferences.  

The mission and values of JMU X-Labs align significantly with Connie’s belief and experience in the transformative powers of transdisciplinary collaborations to solve real world problems and strengthen relationships across a university, industries, and the local community. She is thrilled to have joined the JMU community in this role and looks forward to discovering all that JMU X-Labs can offer and contribute to the university’s learning and research environment.  

• Doctor of Musical Arts, Performance, University of South Carolina 
• Fulbright Scholar, Netherlands, Conservatorium van Amsterdam 
• Master of Music, Performance, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Bachelor of Music, Performance, Ithaca College

• Richtmeyer, Debra with Connie Frigo. The Richtmeyer Method for Saxophone Mastery: Volume I: Unlocking Artistry Through Fundamentals and Pedagogy. Volume 2: Unlocking Artistry Through Practice and Performance. 27 Chapters, 342 pages. Theodore Presser, Inc. 2021. 
• /ping/ for MOD[ular] Ensemble (cl., a.sx, tbn, pno, perc) by composer Peter Van Zandt Lane. Recorded single work on Lane’s compilation CD New Cartography. Innova Recordings (2019). 
• The Athens Concerto, concerto grosso for wind ensemble and solo clarinet, saxophone, trombone, piano, and percussion by John Hennecken. Recorded with MOD[ular] Ensemble and UGA Wind Symphony. Recorded March 20, 2017. In press.  
• Voices, Reimagined. The Yargo Trio. A trio (flute, saxophone, piano) recording of original works and arrangements by Koechlin, Doppler, Faure, Strauss, Peterson. Mark Records (2017). 
• On Track: Commissions Volume 2. New Century Saxophone Quartet. A quartet recording of NCSQ commissioned works by Barbara Kolb, David Lang, John Fitz Rogers and Ben Johnston. Alanna Records (2008). 
• Billie by Jacob ter Veldhuis. Recorded single work on Veldhuis’s composer compilation CD Shining City. Basta Records (2006). 

• music performance and pedagogy 
• creative placemaking 
• community engagement 
• interdisciplinary collaborations