Clone of NMU Jazz Festival - Department of Music

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22 

(All events in Reynolds Recital Hall - unless otherwise noted.)

9:00-11:00am - MS Performances and Clinics

11:00am-12:00pm - Lunch (in the Northern Center)

12:10-12:50pm - NMU Jazz Band Performance

1:00-1:45pm - Educational Clinics

THURSDAY, March 23

(All events in Reynolds Recital Hall.)

3:30-5:00pm - HS Performances and Clinics

7:30pm - OPENING CONCERT (Reynolds Recital Hall)
Featuring Dean Sorenson and the NMU Jazz Festival Faculty Combo
(Tickets available through the NMU Ticket Office as of February 21)

FRIDAY, March 24

(All events in the Northern Center - unless otherwise noted.)

9:00-11:30am - HS Performances and Clinics

11:30am-1:00pm - Lunch & Jam Session

1:00-1:50pm - JAZZ FESTIVAL CLINIC (in Reynolds Recital Hall)
(featuring Dean Sorenson) 

2:15-5:00pm - HS Performances and Clinics

7:30pm - FINAL CONCERT (in Forest Roberts Theatre)
Featuring the NMU Jazz Band and Combo with Dean Sorenson
(Tickets available through the NMU Ticket Office as of February 21)

High School and Middle School Performances and Clinics

Registered high school and middle school ensembles will perform in scheduled time slots on Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday (March 22-24) and then get feedback and work with festival clinicians.  Performances and clinics will all take place in the Northern Center.

Guest Artist Clinic

Dean Sorenson will be presenting an educational clinic at 1:00pm on Friday (March 24) in Reynolds Recital Hall.  This clinic is free and open to the public.

Jam Session!

The popular jam session for festival participants will be held from 11:30pm-1:00pm in the Northern Center.  Traditionally, jam sessions were the place where emerging jazz artists congregated to try out new ideas and work at perfecting the craft of improvisation. This session will be offered in that spirit, and will provide students an opportunity to practice improvisation and listen to others. 

Thursday, March 23, 7:30 p.m.
Reynolds Recital Hall
Featuring Dean Sorenson and the NMU Jazz Festival Faculty Combo
Tickets available at the door and in advance through all NMU Ticket Outlets
(Tickets will be available as of February 21)

Friday, March 24, 7:30 p.m. 
Forest Roberts Theatre
Featuring Dean Sorenson with the NMU Jazz Band & The NMU Jazz Combo
Tickets available at the door and in advance through all NMU Ticket Outlets
(Tickets will be available as of February 21)

The NMU Jazz Festival is an annual educational event that brings talented high school and middle school students to NMU from throughout the region to celebrate an original American art form - JAZZ!

NMU has presented numerous jazz clinics and concerts over the last fifty years, but the current NMU Jazz Festival began in 1998 when NMU Friends of Jazz (an NMU student organization) invited the legendary trumpeter Clark Terry to perform a concert with the NMU Jazz Band.  Several local high school bands were invited to participate in clinics in conjunction with this event, and the positive responses from participants and audience members suggested that an annual jazz festival would be well-received. 

Since then, NMU Friends of Jazz has continued to work with the NMU Music Department and the NMU College of Arts and Sciences to bring outstanding jazz artists to NMU on a yearly basis, and the high school and middle school participation in these events has grown steadily - in an average year, more than 25 ensembles (300-400 students) participate in performances and clinics. 

The festival is a highlight of the year for jazz fans in the Marquette community. 

NMU Friends of Jazz are shown with guest performing artist Regina Carter at the 2015 Jazz Festival. Students not only have a chance to learn from and perform with giants of jazz, they also get to know them personally.

Here are the magnificent musicians we have had the pleasure of hosting over the years:

• 1998 - Clark Terry
• 1999 - Jeff Halsey
• 2000 - Jim McNeely
• 2001 - John Fedchock
• 2002 - Jon Faddis
• 2003 - Peter Erskine
• 2004 - Mike Stern
• 2005 - Steve Turre
• 2006 - Bob Mintzer, Kirsten Gustafson, Kelly Rossum, Dave Ziegner
• 2007 - Dean Sorenson & Randy Sabien
• 2008 - Bobby Shew
• 2009 - Fred Sturm & Bill Carrothers
• 2010 - Kevin Mahogany
• 2011 - Michael Philip Mossman
• 2012 - Ingrid Jensen
• 2013 - Jim Snidero & Kathy Kosins
• 2014 - Stefon Harris
• 2015 - Regina Carter
• 2016 - Michael Davis
• 2017 - Chase Sanborn
• 2018 - Aimee Nolte
• 2019 - Allen Vizzutti
• 2020 - Cancelled (due to COVID-19)
• 2021 - Online Event (due to COVID-19)
• 2022 - Mike Tomaro