Free all-day jazz festival is open at the public and will feature local student and professional jazz musicians
The Philly POPS and the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts will present the School District of Philadelphia’s All-City Jazz Festival, a free day-long music event, on June 9.
This will be the POPS’s third year presenting this event, which now benefits greatly from the new partnership with the Kimmel Center. The day of free jazz performances by student and professional musicians will be held in the Kimmel Center’s Perelman Theater and Commonwealth Plaza from 11AM-9PM. This year’s program builds on the All-City Jazz showcase format, which had previously been the extent of the event.
The festival has been reconfigured to include a variety of student jazz programs, from both POPS in Schools and the Kimmel Center’s Creative Music for Jazz Program, as well as other Philadelphia programs, playing throughout the day. Professional POPS musicians will accompany students in the music-making.
“The Philly POPS’ three year-old POPS in Schools program and Kimmel Center Education share a mission of educating and inspiring young Philadelphians,” said Frank Giordano, President and CEO of the Philly POPS. “After presenting the School District of Philadelphia’s All-City Jazz Festival for two years, the POPS has now partnered with the Kimmel Center, the city’s premier performing arts venue to provide an enhanced experience for students, parents and audiences. As the home of the Philly POPS, we can’t think of a better organization and venue to join forces with for this special event.”
“We are delighted to partner with our esteemed Resident Company, the Philly POPS, to present the 2017 All-City Jazz Festival to Philadelphia,” said Anne Ewers, President & CEO of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. “With ten education programs for all ages, our year round mission is to transform lives daily through the arts. This Festival is an additional opportunity for the Kimmel Center to unite as a Campus to reach, educate, and inspire future generations of arts lovers.”
Students, parents, and the public will be invited to attend the day and evening performances. This is a free, ticketed event. Tickets can be reserved at the Kimmel Center Box Office or at kimmelcenter.org.
Philadelphia All City Jazz Showcase
Performance Schedule:
11am and 12:30pm, Perelman Theater
Jazz student showcase performances
2-6pm, Commonwealth Plaza Stage
A variety of lobby performances by local student jazz groups including high schools and universities
Times TBD, Merck Education Center
Master class sessions in Jazz education led by leading Jazz artists/professionals
7-9pm, Perelman Theater
All-City Jazz Showcase
The most accomplished bands from the All-City Jazz program schools perform. Plus, a performance by the audition-only All-City Jazz Orchestra, the School District of Philadelphia honor ensemble attracting the most talented jazz students from high schools all across the District, conducted by Terell Stafford.
Leading up to the festival, POPS in Schools has a full slate of engagement activities planned for the School District of Philadelphia’s jazz program and All-City Jazz Orchestra:
- POPS musicians will lead masterclasses throughout the spring for each of the 10 Philadelphia public high schools in the jazz program.
- Byron Stripling, POPS guest artist and nationally-recognized superstar trumpeter, will lead a workshop with the All-City Jazz Orchestra on March 29.
- The All-City Jazz Orchestra Combo, all members of the All City Jazz Orchestra, will perform on the Kimmel Center’s Plaza Stage prior to all three Philly POPS Ella, Louis & All That Jazz concerts, on March 31, April 1 and 2.
- The Combo will perform on International Jazz Day weekend (April 28 at noon) at New York City’s Josie Robertson Plaza at Lincoln Center as part of the Young Music Makers series.
The All-City Jazz Festival is made possible through the generous support of Philadelphia Energy Solutions.
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