Dr Warren and Mary Balfour came over from the States to attend The 50 Years Doncaster Jazz Alumni concert at The Earl of Doncaster last year.  Their relationship with DYJA has spanned the years and they have shared decades of being involved in Jazz Education across the Globe.  

The Doncaster Youth Jazz Band was hosted and performed at Cuesta College during their International California tour where they gave an outstanding performance and were very well received.  

Dr. Warren Balfour is currently Professor Emeritus at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, California.  He is active as an adjudicator and clinician at major music festivals throughout the Western United States.  He has guest directed the state and local honor groups from California, Arizona and the Bay Section CMEA groups in California.  He has directed seven major European concert tours with Cuesta music groups that have included performances at the Hague in the Netherlands and Montreux, Switzerland.  Dr. Balfour has had additional professional experiences as a trumpet player, having played in group's to back up such artists as Jerry Lewis, Debbie Reynolds, Roger Williams, Bobby Vinton, Diane Schuur, Toni Tennile and Manhattan Transfer.

He has received degrees from Los Angeles City College, Cal State Los Angeles, Cal State Long Beach, and his doctorate from the University of Northern Colorado.  He is Past-President of the Music Association of California Community Colleges and has been an active adjudicator for the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association for twenty years. 

In March 2008, Warren Balfour was inducted into the California State Jazz Educators Hall of Fame.

THANK YOU DR WARREN!