The Jazz Festival was begun by former Director of Bands Dr. David Manuel Garcia in 1989. The festival's goal has long been to unite Southeast Massachusetts jazz students together with respected jazz artists in a non-competitive, educational setting. The festival has included middle school, high school and college jazz bands in varying years. Currently, the festival is open to all sizes of middle and high school jazz ensembles.

The highlight of the festival in every year since its inception has been the inclusion of a professional jazz performer to serve the festival headliner and to perform with Bridgewater State University students and faculty.

Among the jazz greats featured by the festival in the past years include:

• Bridgewater Blues (1993)
• George Garzone (1994)
• The Praise Gospel Choir (1996)
• Tiger Meazell (1999)
• The Leon Silver Quartet (2002)
• George Scharr (2003)
• Dean Sorenson (2008)
• Lennie Foy (2010)

Welcome

For nineteen years, the Bridgewater State University Jazz Festival has brought important local and national names in jazz to the Southeast Massachusetts area. Renowned for its educational and artistic purposes, the festival brings Southeast MA jazz students together with respected jazz artists.

The Jazz Festival, housed in the Rondileau Campus Center and Horace Mann Auditorium on the Bridgewater State University campus, features middle and high school bands playing for adjudication throughout the day, and culminates in the evening Festival Concert with the BSU Jazz Ensemble, guest high school band and our featured guest artist.

The entry fee for the Bridgewater State will be $50.00 per ensemble. This fee provides your ensemble with a twenty-minute performance, a forty-minute clinic, as well as access to additional workshops that will be held throughout the day. Performance slots are limited, so please register as soon as possible to assure your spot.

Contact Information

For questions regarding tickets to the Festival Concert, call the Bridgewater State University Music Department Office at (508) 531-1377.

For questions regarding the High School festival, call Festival Director Dr. Donald Running at (503) 531-2054.

Jazz Festival Equipment Needs
and Meal Information

Please complete this form once for EACH participating group.

Please submit this form by Monday, February 8th.

We will provide the following equipment/instruments in Horace Mann Auditorium and in the clinic rooms.

• Drum Set
• 2 Conga Drums
• Piano
• Vibes
• Guitar Amp
• Bass Amp
• Keyboard

We ask that you use our equipment to keep changeover time to a minimum.

Drummers may bring their own cymbals.