Biography

Victor Goines is an internationally acclaimed saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, and educator with a career that spans over four decades at the highest levels of jazz performance and education. A native of New Orleans, Goines began his musical journey at a young age and has become one of the most respected figures in jazz. During his lengthy tenure as a member of both the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Wynton Marsalis Septet, he has performed on major stages around the world and contributed to numerous recordings, including  Wynton Marsalis's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Blood on the Fields" and Ted Nash's Grammy-winning "Presidential Suite."  

Goines is also a prolific composer, having created more than 400 original works. Many of these compositions have been commissioned by prestigious institutions such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Juilliard School, the Woodlawn Cemetery and Conservancy, the Music Institute of Chicago, and the ASCAP Foundation. His extensive discography includes performances as both a leader and a sideman, collaborating with legends like Eric Clapton, Dianne Reeves, Ellis Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Marcus Roberts, Wycliffe Gordon, and Ruth Brown, among others.

In addition to his performance career, Goines has made a significant impact in the field of music education. He served as the Director of Jazz Studies at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music for 14 years, during which time he elevated the program to national recognition. Prior to that, he was the founding Director of Jazz Studies at The Juilliard School, where he shaped the curriculum that established Juilliard as a premier institution for jazz education. Goines has mentored notable artists including Jon Batiste, Aaron Diehl, Brian Blade, and Yasushi Nakamura. He has also held teaching positions at Florida A&M University, the University of New Orleans, Loyola University New Orleans, and Xavier University.

Goines earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Loyola University New Orleans and a Master of Music degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Music Arts in music education at Boston University.

His last appointment was as the President and CEO of Jazz St. Louis from 2022 until his departure in 2026.

Victor L. Goines is a Yamaha artist and a Vandoren artist.  ​March 29, 2026