EDUCATION
Jazz Academy
Jazz Academy is Jazz at Lincoln Center’s premier instrumental and vocal jazz education program, offering a rich, inclusive experience for middle and high school students across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut—and for students from around the world through our flagship Summer Jazz Academy.
Register for our Jazz Academy Open House on March 7 and 8!
Our year-round program runs from September through May and includes a structured curriculum of ensemble rehearsals, jazz language and history classes, mentorship, and performance opportunities. In addition to our school-year programming, Summer Jazz Academy brings together young musicians from across the globe for two immersive weeks of intensive training, mentorship, and performance.
Whether local or international, year-round or summer, Jazz Academy is more than a music program—it’s a vibrant, supportive community where young musicians grow artistically, personally, and socially through the power of jazz.
“JAZZ IS THE RHYTHM, THE SOUL, THE BEAT. IT EVOLVES AROUND ME. THERE’S JAZZ eVERYWHERE I GO. JAZZ IS THE MUSIC I FELL IN LOVE WITH. JAZZ IS ME.”
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Previously, Jazz at Lincoln Center offered three distinct youth programs: Middle School Jazz Academy (MSJA) and High School Jazz Academy (HSJA), and Summer Jazz Academy (SJA). Each played a vital role in nurturing young talent. Today, we’re proud to offer a single, unified program—Jazz Academy—serving students through 12th grade, with an integrated curriculum, stronger community ties, and year-round opportunities.
Program Details
Program Duration
—Year-Round Program: September – May
—Summer Jazz Academy: July 12-26, 2026
Locations
Students are placed in ensembles by skill level and rehearse weekly at one of three locations: Jazz at Lincoln Center, Fort Greene (Brooklyn), or the South Bronx. Summer Jazz Academy takes place at Bard College and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Core ComponentS (Year-Round & Summer Programs)
• Ensemble Rehearsals: Students are placed in small and large ensembles—combos, big bands, and vocal groups—based on skill level.
• Jazz Language Classes: Focused instruction in jazz theory, ear training, improvisation, and repertoire.
• Mentorship through JAM (Jazz Academy Mentors): A leadership and peer-mentorship program where high school students support younger peers musically and personally.
• Performance Opportunities: Students perform at world-class venues throughout the year and during the summer, including the Ertegun Atrium, Dizzy’s Club, and The Appel Room.
Pricing
• Year-Round Tuition: $1000 (grades 9–12 only)
• Scholarships: Partial and full scholarships are available to ensure equitable access for all accepted students.
Additional Benefits
• Complimentary Tickets: Free access to select Jazz at Lincoln Center concerts and educational events for students and their families.
• Community Engagement: Emphasis on creativity, collaboration, and inclusivity in every part of the program.
• Global Exchange (Summer): Summer Jazz Academy offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity for students to engage with a worldwide community of young jazz musicians.
Program Goals
• Provide high-quality jazz education to students from diverse backgrounds and regions.
• Foster a lifelong appreciation for jazz as an essential American art form with global influence.
• Support artistic development through performance, collaboration, and improvisation.
• Empower young leaders and mentors through the JAM program.
• Connect students worldwide through the shared language of jazz.
Notable Alumni
Abdias Armenteros, woodwinds, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
Julius Rodriguez, piano and drums, Verve Recording Artist
Isaiah Thompson, piano, The Juilliard School Faculty
Shaan Pandiri, bass, Harvard Law School
Ben Fitpatrick, woodwinds, WDR Big Band
Lilly Clark, saxophone, Software Engineer – Space X
Emelio Modeste, saxophone
Maria Marmarou, drums
Summer Camargo, trumpet
Phil Norris, bass
Esteban Castro, piano
Greyson Nekrutman, drums
Cole Davis, bass
James Haddad, trumpet
Laura Simone Martin, bass
Gabrielle Garo, woodwinds
Carter Bryan, piano
Anton Kot, drums and piano
Birsa Chatterjee, saxophone
Marvin Carter, alto sax
Stephanie Tateiwa, alto sax
Kal Ferretti, trumpet
Jack Towse, trumpet
Zaq Davis, trumpet
Miles Keingstein, trumpet
Liam Sutcliffe, trumpet
Liany Mateo, bass
Miles Lenox, piano
Jarien Jamanila, saxophone
Auditions
All auditions are conducted first by video submission via Google Forms for pre-screening, and then in-person callbacks are announced. Callbacks are conducted at Jazz at Lincoln Center. If students are selected for a callback, they must be able to attend to be considered placement in a Jazz Academy ensemble.
All students must upload one video in one complete take. The video can be no more than 5 minutes in length and cannot contain cuts or edits to the final product video.
Key dates
Pre-Screen Auditions Tapes Open: February 9, 2026
Audition Tapes Due: April 15, 2026
Callbacks Announced: May 3, 2026
Audition Callbacks: May 17, 2026
Entering Grades 6-8
STUDENTS MUST RESIDE WITHIN NYC
Brass, woodwind, piano, bass, and guitar:
• Perform 2 to 3 major scales of your choice.
• Perform one piece of your choice.
• Perform “Now’s the Time” (see sidebar for lead sheet).
Drums:
• Demonstrate the following styles on drum set:
◦ Swing
◦ Bossa Nova
◦ Brushes in 4/4 time
◦ Second Line
◦ Optional:
▪ Samba
▪ Mambo
▪ Shuffle
• Perform one piece of your choice.
• Perform required piece provided from the website.
Sight Reading and Improvisation: Students will be asked to sightread and to improvise during the in-person callbacks.
Entering Grades 9-12
STUDENTS MUST RESIDE WITHIN THE TRI-STATE AREA
Brass and Reeds:
• Play the chromatic scale from your lowest comfortable note up to your highest comfortable note and back down.
• Play one of the following bebop heads: Now’s the Time, Chi Chi, or Donna Lee.
• Pick the one that you feel best demonstrates your abilities.
• Play two improvised choruses on a 12 bar blues in concert Bb or F. You may play unaccompanied or with a backing track or live accompaniment.
• Optional: Demonstrate lead playing (for brass) or doubling (for woodwinds).
Piano, Guitar, and Bass:
• Play 3 major scales, of your choice, throughout 2 octaves.
• Play one of the following bebop heads: “Now’s the Time,” “Chi Chi,” or “Donna Lee.”
• On a 12-bar blues in concert Bb or F, play two choruses of just comping, then two choruses of improvised soloing. You may play unaccompanied, or with a backing track or live accompaniment.
Drums:
• Play 16 bars of time; sticks, 4/4 swing, quarter note=140 and quarter note=250
• Play 8 bars of time; brushes, 4/4 ballad feel, with brushes: quarter note=70
• Play the following over a 12 bar form in medium 4/4 swing (q=140-180): 1 chorus of time, 1 chorus of soloing, 2 choruses of trading 4s (time/solo/time/solo/time/solo), 1 chorus of time
• Briefly demonstrate any straight 8th Afro-Caribbean and/or Brazilian feels you may know
Voice:
• Sing either “Honeysuckle Rose” or “There Will Never Be Another You” with live accompaniment or a backing track
Summer Jazz Academy
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Summer Jazz Academy is a premier two-week residential program for 48 of the nation’s most advanced high school jazz musicians and vocalists (grades 9–12). Led by a distinguished faculty, the SJA offers intensive training through big bands, small combos, private lessons, and classes in aesthetics, culture, history, performance practice, and pedagogy. Students are admitted by audition and will present multiple public performances alongside members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at Bard College and Jazz at Lincoln Center in summer 2026.
Students Will gain:
• Deeper understanding of American vernacular music and jazz techniques
• Philosophical and historical context for major jazz ensembles and artists
• Insight into jazz’s communal and socio-political roots
• Skills for engaging audiences as artists and entertainers
• Awareness of jazz’s mission today and its lineage
Teaching Objectives
• Emphasize communicative virtuosity
• Develop melodic fluency, expressive tone, and authentic swing
• Explore rhythm and harmony as time and space
• Build solos with clear form and audience accessibility
• Study harmony through chord tones, common tones, and key progressions
• Reinforce the importance of singing
Instructional classes
Big Band: Repertoire from Duke Ellington, Mary Lou Willians, Benny Carter, Fletcher Henderson, Don Redman, and contemporary works.
Combo: Small-ensemble performance and the tradition of informal, collaborative playing.
Performance Master Class: Style-specific techniques, solo analysis, and interpretive skills.
History: Key artists, recordings, and cultural significance.
Aesthetics: Jazz culture through writings of Albert Murray, Ralph Ellison, and Martin Williams; the blues as artistic foundation.
Instrumental Studio: Technical development in tone, phrasing, range, flexibility, reading, and expression.
All classes rely on open critique, fostering honest, reflective discussion.
How To Apply
Admission is competitive and based on a holistic evaluation of musical ability and potential. Applicants should choose pieces that best represent their strengths. Video quality is less important than musical quality. Each required selection must be submitted as a separate 3–4-minute video with appropriate accompaniment.
Requirements
• Application for admission
• Non-refundable application fee
• Audition video materials
Past Faculty
Wynton Marsalis, Trumpet
Rodney Whitaker, Bass
Kenny Rampton, Trumpet
Terell Stafford, Trumpet
Helen Sung, Piano
Vincent Gardner, Trombone
Chris Crenshaw, Trombone
Marshall Gilkes, Trombone
Ted Nash, Saxophone
Steve Wilson, Saxophone
Lauren Sevian, Saxophone
Tim Warfield, Saxophone
Jeff Hamilton, Drums
Jason Marsalis, Drums
Dr. Joseph Jefferson, Trombone
Michael Dease, Trombone
Roxy Coss, Saxophone
Steven Feifke, Piano/Arranging
Jazz Academy Performances (2025–2026)
October 2025
10/30/2025
Jazz Academy Youth Orchestra
Location: The Shops at Columbus Circle
Time: 5:30–6:30pm
November 2025
11/7/2025
Jazz Academy Vocal Combo
Location: Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium
Time: 6:30–7:15pm
11/8/2025
Jazz Academy Vocal Workshop
Location: Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium
Time: 6:30–7:15pm
11/21/2025
Jazz Academy Roots Ensemble
Location: Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium
Time: 6:00–6:45pm
11/21/2025
Jazz Academy Young Lions
Location: Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium
Time: 8:00–8:45p
11/22/2025
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Jazz Academy Swing Collective
Location: Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium
Time: 6:00–6:45pmDecember 2025
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12/16/2025
Jazz Academy Swing Collective
Location: Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium
Time: 6:00–6:45pm12/17/2025
Jazz Academy Young Lions
Location: Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium
Time: 6:00–6:45pm12/18/2025
Jazz Academy Big Band
Location: Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium
Time: 6:30–7:15pm12/19/2025
Jazz Academy Roots Ensemble
Location: Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium
Time: 6:30–7:15pm12/20/2025
Jazz Academy Youth Orchestra
Location: Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium
Time: 6:30–7:15pmJanuary 2026
1/5/2026
Jazz Academy Youth Orchestra & Big Band
Location: Dizzy’s Club
Time: 7pm and 9pm1/30/2026
Jazz Academy Young Lions
Location: Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium
Time: 6:00–6:45pm1/30/2026
Jazz Academy Roots Ensemble
Location: Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium
Time: 8:00–8:45pm1/31/2026
Jazz Academy Swing Collective
Location: Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium
Time: 6:00–6:45pm1/31/2026
Jazz Academy Midyear Concert – Middle School
Location: Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium
Time: 11:30am–1:00pmFebruary 2026
2/1/2026
Jazz Academy Combos Midyear Concert – High School
Location: Dizzy’s Club
Time: 10:00am–1:00pm2/1/2026
Jazz Academy Big Bands Midyear Concert – High School
Location: Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium
Time: 1:00–4:00pmMarch 2026
3/14/2026
EE Regional
Location: Appel Room Atrium
Time: 10:00am–4:00pm3/23/2026
Jazz Academy Young Lions, Roots Ensemble, Swing Collective
Location: Dizzy’s Club
Time: 7pm (Young Lions), 9pm (Roots/Swing)April 2026
4/10/2026
Jazz Academy Vocal Workshop
Location: Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium
Time: 6:00–6:45pm4/10/2026
Jazz Academy Vocal Combo
Location: Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium
Time: 8:00–8:45pm4/11/2026
Charlie Parker Combo
Location: Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium
Time: 6:00–6:45pm4/25/2026
Jazz Academy Final Concert – Middle School
Location: Appel Room
Time: 11:30am–1:00pm4/26/2026
Jazz Academy Combos Final Concert – High School
Location: Dizzy’s Club
Time: 10:00am–1:00pm4/26/2026
Jazz Academy Final Big Bands Concert – High School
Location: Appel Room
Time: 1:00–4:00pmJune 2026
6/8/2026
Jazz Academy Big Band
Location: Dizzy’s Club
Time: 7pm & 9pm
Keep the music playing! Please support Jazz at Lincoln Center as we continue to entertain, enrich, and expand a global community for jazz through concerts, education, and advocacy for artists.