Victor Goines born in New Orleans is an esteemed jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, and educator. He began on clarinet at age eight and later embraced saxophone in high school, drawing early inspiration from local jazz greats like Ellis Marsalis. Goines earned his Bachelor of Music Education from Loyola University New Orleans and completed his Master of Music at Virginia Commonwealth University. Since 1993, he’s been a vital voice in the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis Septet, lending his talents to celebrated recordings—including the Pulitzer-winning Blood on the Fields—and to the orchestral performances on landmark albums like Wynton Marsalis/Eric Clapton Play the Blues. Goines has also recorded and performed with Ahmad Jamal, Ruth Brown, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Dizzy Gillespie, Lenny Kravitz, Ellis Marsalis Jr, Branford Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Willie Nelson, Marcus Roberts, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, more.

Beyond performance, Goines is a prolific composer—authoring over 200 original works and numerous commissions for Jazz at Lincoln Center, ASCAP/Louis Armstrong Foundation, Juilliard, and the Music Institute of Chicago. As a bandleader, he has released ten albums, including A Dance at the Mardi Gras Ball (2016). His commitment to jazz education spans decades: he led Juilliard’s inaugural jazz program (2000–2007), directed Northwestern University’s Jazz Studies program (2008–2022), and served on faculties at Loyola, UNO, Xavier, and Florida A&M. In 2022, he became President & CEO of Jazz St. Louis, guiding the organization into a new era. A true New Orleans son, Goines blends tradition, innovation, artistry, and mentorship in a career that continues to shape the future of jazz.