The 2026 National Collegiate Jazz Championship will take place Saturday, January 17 and Sunday, January 18, 2026 and features ensembles from ten of the most well-regarded university jazz programs in the country. Celebrating the excellence and achievements of the next generation of jazz musicians, the event includes big band and combo competitions, as well as mentorship with members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
2026 Participating Programs
Eastman School of Music (Rochester, NY)
Huston-Tillotson University (Austin, TX)
Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI)
North Carolina Central University (Durham, NC)
Northwestern University (Evanston, IL)
The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)
Temple University (Philadelphia, PA)
University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL)
University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC)
University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX)
EDUCATION
National Collegiate Jazz Championship
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