Dylan Hannan

Dylan Hannan transforms reed instruments into musical passports, his saxophone, clarinet, and flute carrying stories from middle school jazz band revelations to concert halls across 18 states and four Canadian provinces. This east coast Florida native discovered his calling in a school jazz ensemble, then spent his University of Central Florida years expanding his musical vocabulary—mastering jazz studies while secretly studying theory and composition on piano, proving that the best wind players understand music from the ground up.

Hannan's performance resume reads like a genre-hopping adventure: opening for trumpet legend Arturo Sandoval in a salsa band, winning the Florida and Southeastern rounds of the MTNA Collegiate Chamber Music Competition with the UCF Saxophone Quartet in 2019, and sharing stages with jazz luminaries like Dave Liebman and Emmet Cohen. Whether navigating the intricate harmonies of classical chamber music or laying down groove-heavy lines in rock, R&B, reggae, or salsa bands, Hannan approaches every musical situation with the curiosity of a scholar and the soul of a storyteller.

His two-year stint with the Glenn Miller Orchestra took him from Florida concert halls to Canadian provinces, appearing on their newest album—his seventh recorded appearance—proving that versatility and tradition can dance together beautifully. Since trading Florida sunshine for Asheville's cooler climate in 2022, Hannan has built a teaching reputation that speaks for itself: six All-County saxophonists, two All-State players, and one student who made the NAfME All-National Jazz Band.

In the Blue Ridge Mountains, Hannan continues proving that great reed playing isn't just about technique—it's about understanding that every note choice tells a story, whether you're doubling on flute in a classical setting or improvising through changes in an intimate jazz club.