hey!

We're Mike and Alex

We're the founders of Modern Artist Jazz.

Modern Artist brings together talented young artists across SoCal, ages 14-18, to learn more about improvisation, composition, performance, and entrepreneurship.

Our mission is to

help talented young musicians be the best they can be at their craft and find success as musicians.

When we created Modern Artist, our goal was to raise the standard of music education for young musicians who are serious about their future. Having both studied music from an early age, we can look back on our own training and see what was missing. We knew we wanted to pursue music as a career, but we didn’t start learning how to make that a reality until college.

A career in music isn’t a straightforward path. There’s no daily 9–5 or preset ladder to climb. It takes discipline, creativity, and a deep sense of self-direction. You have to learn how to run your own business, manage your time, and stay motivated even when the gigs don’t come easily.

With multiple original releases and years of touring experience both as artists and as collaborators, we’ve reached a point in our careers where we want to give that knowledge back.

Our goal is to prepare the next generation of musicians not just to play well, but to build a life around their music. A career in music can be both fulfilling and sustainable, and we’re here to show students exactly how to make that happen.

- Mike & Alex

Michael Ragonese

Pianist - Composer - Educator

Los Angeles–based jazz pianist and composer Michael Ragonese is one of the most in-demand voices of his generation, performing, touring, and recording with artists such as Barbra Streisand, Walter Smith III, Ben Wendel, Mark Turner, Dayna Stephens, Charnett Moffett, Bennie Maupin, Dave Binney, and Engelbert Humperdinck. With three acclaimed albums—Day to Day (2019), Stracci (2023), and Chasing Calm (2025)—Ragonese has developed a distinct sound rooted in modern jazz, classical influence, and his Italian heritage.

His third album, Chasing Calm, featuring Walter Smith III, Luca Alemanno, and JK Kim, has received widespread international acclaim, including praise from DownBeat Magazine, which called it “a deceptively deep album” that “rewards repeated listening.” Following the release, Ragonese completed a full U.S. tour in 2025 and continues touring extensively in 2026, including his first European appearances such as Camera Jazz Club in Bologna, sponsored by the Bologna Jazz Festival.
In addition to his performing career, Ragonese is the co-founder of Modern Artist, an advanced high school jazz program, and a founding director of the Libretto Conservatory in partnership with the internationally recognized Libretto Jazz Club.

Alex Hahn

Saxophonist - Composer - Educator

Alumni of the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance and 1st Place Winner in the Michael Brecker International Saxophone Competition, Alex Hahn is a Grammy Award Winning saxophonist, composer, and educator based in Southern California. Hahn has performed and recorded with notable names such as Herbie Hancock, Billy Childs, John Clayton, Peter Erskine, and has recorded on Michael Bublé’s last three Grammy Nominated Albums including “Higher,” which won a Grammy Award in 2023. Hahn’s most recent album, ‘Childhood Melodies,” released in 2024, has received over one million streams across all platforms.

Hahn currently serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music and is the Co-Founder of the Modern Artist Summer Jazz Intensive and Modern Artist All Star Combo Program. He is an endorsed artist with Eastman Winds, D’Addario Woodwinds, JJ Babbitt, and Key Leaves.

The Modern Artist Pedagogy

Mastery. Performance. Networking.

Modern Artist programs implement a balanced approach, providing classroom learning, one-on-one instruction, collaboration, live performance experience, and competition participation.

Students will gain valuable experience transferring what they learn in class to the stage with confidence, while having the opportunity to connect with guest instructors and start building their network of professional jazz artists.

Students learn & experience:

Jazz Improvisation
Jazz History/Listening
Jazz Theory/Harmony
Composition
Music Technology
Music Professionalism/Entrepreneurship
Small Group Rehearsals
Jazz festival performances
and more!

Our Guest Instructors

In addition to Mike and Alex, Modern Artist students will have the chance to learn from several jazz professionals, active in their music careers. These collaborations provide even more real-world context and help students start building their professional network. Stay tuned to see who's joining us each semester!