Jazz-loving Cincinnatians are invited to the 3rd International Jazz Festival, hosted by Activities Beyond the Classroom (ABC).
The festival will feature over 100 student musicians from the Cincinnati Public Schools Jazz Academy performing with internationally famous jazz saxophonist Joan Chamorro from Barcelona Spain, as well as many of the jazz students under his tutelage. Also featured on the program will be some of the finest jazz artists from the tri-state area.
Date: Saturday, May 6th
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: The Aronoff Center for the Arts (650 Walnut Street)
Cost: FREE (but tickets are required for entry. Tickets will be available in the P&G Hall lobby starting at 6:00PM)
Special performances by:
Tri-State professional jazz artists include:
On October 5, 2019, over 250 students who live in the Cincinnati area gathered at the Aronoff Center to participate in the first ever CPS International Jazz Festival.
During this all day event, the student-musicians performed for professional jazz musicians, and were able to get constructive feedback from the professionals to help them master their craft. In addition, the students were able to sit in more intimate master-classes, where the accomplished jazz musicians gave lessons, and shared their experiences in the world of jazz.
The evening featured performances from an ensemble of professional musicians as well as larger student groups. The ensemble included the award-winning Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana, Todor Bakardzhiev (Bulgaria), pianist Shamie Royston (New York City), bassist Chris Berg (Dayton, Ohio), and drummer Art Gore (Cincinnati). The student groups featured included the Pipkov National Music School Jazz Ensemble (Bulgaria), the Greater Cincinnati Youth Jazz Collaborative, and the CPS Elementary Jazz Academy Orchestra.
The International Jazz Festival returned May 7, 2022. Internationally famous jazz saxophonist Joan Chamorro from Barcelona Spain joined 107 students and 11 professional jazz musicians from the Cincinnati region for a full day of workshops, masterclasses, and performance opportunities. This was capped off by an evening performance on the main stage at the Aronoff Center.
Because cost of tickets was a barrier to access for families at the previous Jazz Festival, ABC waived ticket fees and allowed all members of the public free access to the show. By the time the instruments started playing, 1200 seats were full in the Aronoff Center (about double the attendance from the first Jazz Festival). We received reports that indicated the second Jazz Festival increased impact on the Cincinnati community by 153%.
