Ken Peplowski, music director for the Oregon Coast Jazz Party, dies at 66

Ken Peplowski, music director for the Oregon Coast Jazz Party, dies at 66

Jazz clarinetist and saxophone player Ken Peplowski died Feb. 2, 2026, at the age of 66. He was on The Jazz Cruise in the Gulf of Mexico, where he was a performer.Peplowski was well-known in the Oregon jazz scene. He served as music director for the Oregon Coast Jazz Party in Newport. He was also a music director for the Oregon Festival of American Music in Eugene from 2007 through 2014.“Ken Peplowski was a virtuoso jazz clarinetist whose music …