Nathan Poehlke is an award winning composer, guitarist, and educator in Eugene, Oregon.

From Western Canada, Chicago, IL, and Sacramento, CA, Nathan has over a two decades of playing and teaching experience. Having travelled to the Philippines to teach guitar curriculum at a the BCCL college at the age of 18, Nathan has also been seen playing at the Reno Jazz Festival, Columbia Jazz Festival, and Roseville Jazz Festival among numerous others around the country. Nathan completed his Bachelor’s in Music at age 21, studying under Jimmy Smith guitarist Steve Homan at CSUS and William Jessup University.

As a writer, Nathan was the JEN 2020 Young Composer Showcase winner for his composition “Feeling Sleepy,” performed by the U.S. Navy Commodores band, and won DownBeat Magazine’s Student Music Award in 2020 for his arrangement of Come Rain or Come Shine. His other compositions have been featured by the Oregon Jazz Ensemble and Eastman New Jazz Ensemble, with choral works featured at William Jessup University and Bushnell University and large jazz ensemble pieces commissioned for artists such as Vern Sielert. Having the privilege to study with Steve Owen, Dan Gailey, James Miley, Vern Sielert, Dave Rivello, and John LaBarbera, Nathan’s compositions for large jazz ensemble, jazz nonet, choir, orchestra, and classical chamber groups continue to be performed around the Northwest, and has his works published through iJazzMusic.com.

Nathan released his debut big band record, “Nightlight” in 2025, and a jazz nonet CD, “Further Up and Further In” in 2020.

Nathan is currently an Assistant Professor at Bushnell University acting as the Bushnell Jazz Ensemble director and instructor for Music Theory, Aural Skills, Counterpoint, Producing and Arranging, and studio lessons. He has also taught at the University of Oregon, New Hope College, and Sierra College, as well as given guitar and pedagogy masterclasses at the Oregon Jazz Festival.

Nathan Poehlke completed his MM at the University of Oregon in 2020 studying guitar under Mike Denny and composition under Steve Owen and Paul Krueger, and is currently completing his PhD in Music Composition at the University of Oregon.