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.