The 2025 SSU/Redwood Empire Jazz Festival, a free competitive, educational event for middle school, high school, and junior college jazz bands and combos, will take place February 15 in Green Music Center.
Participants this year include 29 bands from 17 different schools. The event gives students opportunities to receive feedback, attend clinics with world-renowned educators, and perform in a supportive and inspiring environment.
“For school jazz bands, the Redwood Empire Jazz Festival was THE festival to play for many years, but it stopped sometime in the 2000s. The SSU Jazz Department is reviving this educational and competitive festival,” Douglas Leibinger, SSU Director of Jazz Studies, said.
“Each band performs in the Green Music Center and gets ratings and clinics from world-class jazz educators. It's a great way to encourage musicianship and camaraderie among these budding musicians and bring them to our beautiful campus,” he said.
Adjudicators for this year’s festival include:
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Michael Galisatus, who has conducted orchestral productions for Gregory Porter and Rufus Wainwright and has earned multiple awards, including the CMEA Jazz Educator of the Year
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Jeff Jarvis, a Gold Medal winner at the Global Music Awards for "Lifetime Contributions to Jazz and Jazz Education"
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Kasey Knudsen, named one of “10 Female Instrumentalists Who Redefine Jazz” by Paste Magazine.
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Jeanne Geiger, who has performed with iconic artists such as Green Day, Sheila E, and Gladys Knight, and whose compositions have been featured in numerous educational and professional ensembles.
Event details:
SSU Redwood Empire Jazz Festival
February 14, 2025
9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
More information about the SSU Redwood Empire Jazz Festival is available at this link.