Educational Programs
Education
Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland is one of America’s first educational jazz festivals and has grown into the region’s premier center for jazz education. The College is committed to presenting students of all ages with a wealth of opportunities to learn from world-class artists at master classes throughout the year and during Tri-C DownBeat Jazz Education Days in the spring.
Tri-C DownBeat Jazz Education Days
Education Days is an annual festival that takes place at various participating Northeast Ohio high schools. More than 300 students typically participate in adjudicated performances and workshops with national artists. Last year's festival took place during Jazz Appreciation Month, April 27 and 28. Dates for 2023 will be announced soon.
Tri-C JazzFest Academy
The Tri-C JazzFest Academy is the educational arm of Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland. It offers performance-based programs for students ages 8 to 18, at every stage of their musical development. We believe that access to the rich musical culture of jazz and improvisation creates a deep sense of creativity, discipline, teamwork and empathy and empowers life-long curiosity and learning.
The JazzFest Academy is led by internationally acclaimed musician and educator Dominick Farinacci, former Tri-C student and graduate of The Juilliard School. Academy ensembles were recently featured in New York City at Jazz at Lincoln Center and regularly perform throughout the Cleveland area.
Upcoming Events
Past Events
On May 16, the Tri-C JazzFest Academy’s Spirit of the Groove ensemble made its New York debut at Dizzy’s (Jazz at Lincoln Center). Students included Ava Preston (vocals), Liam Speaks (piano), Eli Leder (bass), Oscar LaCombe (bass), Ted Clouser (guitar), Drew Hoschar (drums), Rohit Kashyap (bass), Nehemiah Baker (drums), Henry Peyrebrune (bass) and Thomas Schinabeck (saxophone). Under the direction of Dominick Farinacci, the students trained rigorously for the two sold-out performances.
From June 13–24, 2022, 52 area students were immersed in a summer jazz camp that culminated in performances at Tri-C JazzFest, outdoors at Playhouse Square. This year a stage was dedicated to Tri-C jazz students and recent alumni. The William M. Weiss Next Generation Stage offered more than convincing evidence that the future of jazz is in good hands. In addition to performing, the students received free tickets to all the indoor concerts and played at the nightly jam sessions. Dates for the 2023 summer camp are June 6–23.