A music professor and two students from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish are heading to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, this summer to participate in an international jazz conference. Professor Paul Tynan, along with students Matthew Patstone and Alex Mills, will take part in the 2026 meeting of the International Association of Schools of Jazz from July 6-11.
This event marks a significant milestone for the organization, as it is the first time the conference will be held in Asia. The gathering brings together music educators and students from a worldwide network to share in performances, lectures, and workshops. During the trip, Tynan will lead one of six international student ensembles and contribute to panel discussions. The conference will also feature world-renowned pianist and UNESCO Artist for Peace Danilo Pérez as the artist in residence.
The opportunity for the StFX delegation emerged following a visit to the Antigonish campus last October by jazz bassist and board member Martin Zenker. Zenker, who has been instrumental in building jazz education programs in Mongolia since 2014, performed with the StFX Jazz Nonet and invited the students to join the international gathering after being impressed by their work. Patstone, a second-year student from Victoria, British Columbia, and Mills, a third-year student from Ottawa, Ontario, were subsequently selected for the trip through a competitive process.
The 2026 IASJ Jazz Meeting serves as a global forum for performance, education, and research. For the participating students, the event provides a rare chance to collaborate with peers from around the world and build professional connections. Tynan, a full professor who teaches jazz trumpet, history, and arranging, will participate in his capacity as the North American representative to the association.
