For thirty-five years, the KU Jazz Festival has been one of the focal points for jazz performance and education in the central United States. The festival has annually provided the region with a wonderful opportunity to hear and learn from world-class jazz musicians and educators, and is open to all college, high school and junior high/middle school big bands and jazz combos.

Evening concerts feature a first-rate lineup of some of the most important and exciting musicians in the world of contemporary jazz, while daytime clinics and master classes with these and other artists allow students and community members to interact with them outside of the concert hall.

OUTSTANDING COLLEGE, HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL ENSEMBLES SELECTED BY CLINICIANS!
Revolving trophies for each school level; $1,500 Award for Outstanding College Ensemble

While the KU Jazz Festival remains a mostly non-competitive event, the Friday and Saturday Evening Festival Concerts will once again begin with The Outstanding High School Ensemble (Friday night) and the Outstanding College Ensemble (Saturday night)!  Our clinicians will select (based on performance merit) one group from the big bands and combos that perform during the day to perform on the evening concert.  High school ensembles will be considered for the award on Friday evening, and College/University Ensembles will be considered for Saturday evening.  These bands (one for each day of the festival) will perform two tunes (or 15 minutes) to open that day's evening concert.  The bands chosen for each evening’s concert will be announced in Swarthout Recital Hall at the end of each day's performances (approximately 4:30 PM) .  Directors will be able to declare their bands eligible for the Outstanding Ensembles awards via the registration form and/or during check-in at the registration table on the day of the festival.

Revolving trophies will be presented to the Middle School, High School and College Outstanding Ensembles.  These trophies will stay with the recipients until the 2012 KU Jazz Festival, when they will be presented once again to the Outstanding Ensembles.  In addition, the Outstanding College Ensemble will receive a $1,500 Award!  Trophies and awards are being made possible this year through the generous support of Reach Out Kansas, Inc.

REGISTRATION FEES INCLUDE EVENING CONCERT TICKETS!

Once again this year, your ensemble’s registration fees will include tickets to the Evening Festival Concert on the day that you perform!  Tickets will be provided for each member of the ensemble, along with tickets for the director(s).  Support for school ensemble concert tickets is being generously provided this year by Reach Out Kansas, Inc.

Each school will also be provided free tickets for chaperones. Tickets for general public are also free this year, and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning February1, 2012.  Please check back here after January 15, 2012 for more information on how to obtain these additional tickets.

School Ensemble Directors:  Click Here