THE 59TH ANNUAL
ELMHURST UNIVERSITY
THURSDAY-SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 1, 2026
HAMMERSCHMIDT MEMORIAL CHAPEL
STEVE KOVALCHECK TRIO
FEATURING JEFF HAMILTON AND JON HAMAR
ANAT COHEN TENTET
ODED LEV-ARI, MUSICAL DIRECTOR
DENIS DIBLASIO • ULYSSES OWENS JR.
Rich in both tradition and innovation, the Elmhurst University Jazz Festival has been operating continuously for over half a century. The first Festival, presented in 1968, rose from the ashes of the now-defunct American College Jazz Festival, which was composed of eight regional sites throughout the United States. Elmhurst University (then Elmhurst College) hosted the Midwest event. Each regional festival produced a winning band, combo and vocalist, who then performed at a national festival on Memorial Day weekend. American Airlines, Budweiser and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts sponsored the annual extravaganza. The national festival expired in 1973, but Elmhurst continued its festival with a new approach: instead of a winner-take-all format, the emphasis was shifted from competition to education. Since then, our guest artists/adjudicators have offered constructive critiques of each performing group, conducted clinics, and demonstrated their skill in concerts. The artists also grant awards to outstanding ensembles, individual musicians, and student composers and arrangers.
This year, the Festival is proud to broaden its reach by expanding the High School Invitational into Friday, with midday concerts featuring our guest artists on each of the two Invitational days. Bands participating in the High School Invitational will have the opportunity to receive feedback not only from our outstanding guest artists, but also from members of our world-class Elmhurst University jazz faculty. The Saturday morning clinic with guest artists Denis DiBlasio and Ulysses Owens Jr. offers yet another opportunity for both students and the public to learn from these masterful musicians.
Since presenting the 2021 Festival entirely online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have gone on to offer our audience the best of both worlds: in addition to our traditional live, in-person format, we have continued to offer a livestream option to make our programming more widely accessible.
Over the years, the Elmhurst University Jazz Festival has hosted some of the most iconic names in jazz. Dizzy Gillespie, Cannonball Adderley, Lee Konitz, Clark Terry, Bob Brookmeyer, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, the Dave Holland Quintet, Nicholas Payton, Diana Krall, Dee Dee Bridgewater, the Bill Holman Band, the Phil Woods Quintet, the Count Basie Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson, Patti Austin, Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, the Joe Lovano Quartet, the Maria Schneider Orchestra, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, The Jeff Hamilton Trio, Ryan Truesdell’s Gil Evans Project, The Dave Douglas Quintet, and Kurt Elling all have graced our stage.
Since 1968, there have been countless memorable moments. Many of them have been the performances by the legendary artists who make the journey to our stage each year, but a great number of those magical moments have come from the student musicians themselves. They deliver heartfelt performances and give the audiences all they have and more. Many former Festival participants have gone on to careers in music and have made their mark in the art form. Professionals who performed here as students include Delfeayo Marsalis, Rich Perry, Cecil Bridgewater, John Harmon, John Fedchock, Peter Erskine, Tim Hagans and Dee Dee Bridgewater. The Festival is above all else a forum for jazz education. It is a gathering where some of the world’s most acclaimed artists come together with the next generation of musicians not only to perform the music, but also to study it. The Festival is a place where students have access to some of the best musicians in the business and can ask them directly about their artistry. With our expansion into the digital realm, jazz fans across the world can now witness the magic that takes place on our Chapel stage each year. It is indeed a special happening: a rare blend of educational enrichment and exciting entertainment. Welcome to our celebration of America's sublime art form.
THE 60TH ANNUAL ELMHURST UNIVERSITY
JAZZ FESTIVAL
Thursday-Sunday, February 25-28, 2027
Visit our website at elmhurst.edu/JazzFestival for updated information.
Follow Elmhurst University: /elmhurstuniversity /elmhurst_u /eujazzfestival /elmhurstuniversitymusic
Past Festivals introduced you to Elmhurst University Jazz Band vocalist Bethany Norman, class of 2009. She remains a major visual voice in the Festival through her painted banners which adorn the Chapel windows each year. Her exquisite work has transformed a place of worship into a cathedral that celebrates America’s native musical art, jazz, at least for a few glorious days each February.
This year’s signature artwork, featured on the Festival poster and program cover, was created by Alyssa Beach . The image is part of a mural that Alyssa painted in 2020 in Irion Hall, the hub of the Elmhurst University Department of Music. Alyssa has created other artwork for the Elmhurst University Jazz Band and the Elmhurst University Jazz Festival in the past, including the poster artwork for the 50th Festival in 2017.
In her current role as artistic director of The Forge Gallery & Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, Alyssa runs the nonprofit’s Residency Program, which offers free studio space to six artists annually and is the first program of its kind in Nashville. She produces monthly exhibitions for local artists as well as those in residence, in addition to other special events.
Prior to working for The Forge, Alyssa worked with several other galleries in Nashville, including Ovvio Arte and The Rymer. Her background in music and theatre as well as visual art fuel her dedication to facilitating the personal and professional development of other creatives.
Primary funding for the High School Invitational has been provided by the Sylvia and William W. Gretsch Memorial Foundation. Additional support provided by an anonymous donor.
The Elmhurst University Jazz Festival has been a model of excellence for over half a century. An important part of that tradition is the High School Invitational, which began in 1980 and carried on through 1991. After a 21-year hiatus, it returned in 2012 and has continued ever since.
Each school is allotted 30 minutes of stage time, followed by a clinic offstage with one of our Festival guest artists (Denis DiBlasio and Ulysses Owens Jr.) and a member of the Elmhurst University jazz faculty.
This year, we are proud to expand the High School Invitational into Friday afternoon, with both days featuring a midday performance by the guest artists and the Elmhurst University Jazz Band.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26
9:30 a.m.
• Buffalo Grove High School (Buffalo Grove, Illinois)
• Dundee-Crown High School (Carpentersville, Illinois)
• McHenry Community High School (McHenry, Illinois)
• Mundelein High School (Mundelein, Illinois)
12:00 p.m. (approx.)
• Performance by Denis DiBlasio and Ulysses Owens Jr. with the Elmhurst University Jazz Band 1:30 p.m.
• Northview High School (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
• Yorkville High School (Yorkville, Illinois)
• Lake Zurich High School (Lake Zurich, Illinois)
• Fenwick High School (Oak Park, Illinois)
HISTORY OF HIGH SCHOOL PARTICIPANTS
Addison Trail High School, Ill.
Ashwaubenon High School, Wis.
Badger High School, Wis.
Barrington High School, Ill.
Batavia High School, Ill.
Belleville High School East, Ill.
Big Foot High School, Wis.
Bloomington High School North, Ind.
Buffalo Grove High School, Ill.
Carl Schurz High School, Ill.
Case High School, Wis.
Castle High School, Ind.
Cedarburg High School, Wis.
Champaign Central High School, Ill.
Chesterton High School, Ind.
Chicago Academy for the Arts, Ill.
Curie Metro High School, Ill.
Danville High School, Ill.
Decatur MacArthur High School, Ill.
Downers Grove North High School, Ill.
Downers Grove South High School, Ill.
Dundee-Crown High School, Ill.
East St. Louis Lincoln High School, Ill.
Elk Grove High School, Ill.
Elkhart Central High School, Ind.
Fargo South High School, S.D.
Fenwick High School, Ill.
Forest View High School, Ill.
Glenbard East High School, Ill.
Hinsdale Central High School, Ill.
Hinsdale South High School, Ill.
Horlick High School, Wis.
John Hersey High School, Ill.
Lakes Community High School, Ill.
Lake Central High School, Ind.
Lake Zurich High School, Ill.
Leyden High School, Ill.
Libertyville High School, Ill.
Lincoln Park High School, Ill.
Lincoln-Way Central High School, Ill.
Lyons Township High School, Ill.
McHenry Community High School, Ill.
Metea Valley High School, Ill.
Milwaukee Lutheran High School, Wis.
Mundelein High School, Ill.
Naperville Central High School, Ill.
New Trier High School, Ill.
Northview High School, Mich.
Notre Dame High School, Ill.
Oak Lawn Community High School, Ill.
Oak Park and River Forest High School, Ill.
Old Quarry Middle School, Ill.
Oregon High School, Ill.
Oswego High School, Ill.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27
9:30 a.m.
• Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage (Wheaton, Illinois)
• Metea Valley High School (Aurora, Illinois)
• Oswego High School (Oswego, Illinois)
• Old Quarry Middle School (Lemont, Illinois)
12:00 p.m. (approx.)
• Performance by Denis DiBlasio and Ulysses Owens Jr. with the Elmhurst University Jazz Band
1:30 p.m.
• Chesterton High School (Chesterton, Indiana)
• York Community High School (Elmhurst, Illinois)
Peoria Woodruff High School, Ill.
Portage High School, Ind.
Pritzker College Prep, Ill.
Proviso West High School, Ill.
Rauner College Prep, Ill.
Richwoods High School, Ill.
Riverside Brookfield High School, Ill.
Rolling Meadows High School, Ill.
St. Charles East High School, Ill.
St. Charles North High School, Ill. Streamwood High School, Ill.
Thornridge High School, Ill.
Warren Township High School, Ill.
Washington Park High School, Wis.
Waukesha West High School, Wis.
Wauwatosa West High School, Wis.
West Aurora High School, Ill.
Westmont High School, Ill. Westside High School, Neb.
Wheaton South High School, Ill. Wheeling High School, Ill.
Whitewater High School, Wis.
Whitney Young High School, Ill.
York Community High School, Ill. Yorkville High School, Ill.
Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage, Ill.
Buffalo Grove High School returns to the High School Invitational this year with a performance that kicks off the Thursday morning session. BGHS boasts two jazz bands and several jazz combos as part of its robust music program. The band program has been under the direction of Vince Genualdi since 2022.
The Dundee-Crown High School Jazz Ensemble is a curricular ensemble that rehearses daily for 45 minutes. The D-C jazz program, led by William Brocker, aims to create a culture of humility and of joyful collaboration through its teaching of jazz history, culture and music. The Jazz Ensemble performs both on and off campus, including a recent outing with the Pete Ellman Big Band at The Venue in Aurora.
The McHenry Community High School Jazz Band performs on Thursday morning under the direction of Ryan Cabildo. The ensemble performs frequently both at school and in the broader community, with recent performances at the Mundelein Invitational, Durty Nellie’s in Palatine and McHenry’s Pearl Street Market.
The Mundelein High School Jazz Ensemble is one of two auditioned, curricular jazz bands that are open to all students. Throughout the school year, director Andy Sturgeon leads the band in over a dozen performances at a variety of venues, including concerts at the school, jazz festivals, and music clubs in the Chicagoland area such as The Jazz Showcase, FitzGerald’s, Durty Nellie’s, and The Venue. In the past several years, the MHS Jazz Ensemble has been named Honor Band at both the Purdue Jazz Festival and the Eau Claire Jazz Festival. The band was also selected to perform at the Midwest Clinic in 2021 and at the Illinois Music Education Conference three times in the past 10 years. Recent guest artists at MHS have included John Irabagon, Sharel Cassity and Steve Wiest.
Northview High School ’s Jazz Ensemble is led by Greg Wells, only the second director in the group’s more than 50-year history. The NHS Jazz Ensemble has won dozens of best band awards at collegiate invitationals, earned top ratings at the MSBOA State Jazz Festival, and performed numerous times at the Midwest Clinic, Jazz Education Network and other conferences. It has also performed at the Detroit Jazz Festival more than 26 times and the Montreux Jazz Festival twice. Over the years, the ensemble has shared the stage with countless jazz legends, including Regina Carter, Anat Cohen, Bobby Floyd, Frank Mantooth, Christian McBride and Wynton Marsalis.
The Festival is delighted to welcome Yorkville High School to the Invitational for the first time. The most advanced of Yorkville’s three jazz bands, Jazz Ensemble presents several concerts each year and frequently performs at festivals such as Jazz in the Meadows and with professional bands such as the Pete Ellman Big Band and the Vern Spevak Big Band. The ensemble regularly works with worldrenowned musicians, clinicians and composers, who in recent years have included Jeff Coffin, John Wojciechowski, Steve Schnall, Jon Irabagon, Christopher Davis, Rich Moore and Tom Garling. The Jazz Ensemble performs on Thursday afternoon under the direction of Bobby Vriezen.
The Lake Zurich High School Jazz Ensemble, led for the past 30 years by Joshua Thompson, is one of the school’s two curricular jazz ensembles. Each year the group presents three concerts, attends two regional jazz festivals, and performs at various other events. The band frequently opens for local jazz ensembles such as the Jazz Consortium, Jazz Community and Bob Lark Alumni Big Bands. Highlights over the years include performances at the Midwest Clinic and at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition in New York, where the band was selected as a finalist. Since Hurricane Katrina, the LZHS jazz ensembles have taken six community service/performance trips to New Orleans. This marks their Festival debut.
The Fenwick High School Jazz Band has performed at the Mundelein, Purdue, Rolling Meadows and New Trier Jazz Festivals, and makes their Elmhurst debut this year in the final slot of the Thursday afternoon Invitational session. In addition to their active presence at local festivals, the band has released two records on Bandcamp and presents an annual concert at FitzGerald’s featuring
some of Chicago’s most exciting jazz artists, including New Nostalgia, Anthony Bruno, Gerald Bailey and funk superstars Nasty Snacks. Directed by trombonist Andrew Zelm, the Jazz Band also performs regularly at Fenwick and community events throughout Oak Park and the greater Chicagoland area.
The Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage joins us once again under the direction of founder Robert Blazek. YJED provides the most promising high school jazz musicians in DuPage County and surrounding areas the opportunity to perform high-level jazz music literature, both in concert and in an annual studio recording. Since its founding in 1998, YJED has had members record and perform with countless jazz greats, including Ron Carter, Orbert Davis, Steve Wiest, and Mark Colby. A frequent presence at music conventions, YJED has performed with Terell Stafford at IMEC and with Gordon Goodwin at the Midwest Clinic. YJED has also performed by invitation several times at the Essentially Ellington Festival in New York City, winning its division one year and earning an honorable mention another.
Metea Valley High School returns with their Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Elmhurst University Jazz Band alum Josh Kaminsky. The Jazz Ensemble previously appeared at the Invitational in 2019, and has performed at the Naperville Big Band Jazz Festival and Northern Illinois University Jazz Day. The band has also played alongside a number of well-known artists including Reggie Thomas, Andy Baker, Rich Moore, Luke Malewicz, and Victor Garcia. In addition to the Jazz Ensemble, the jazz program at Metea Valley includes two other extracurricular jazz bands, two jazz combos and two vocal jazz ensembles, which regularly perform in the community.
Oswego High School boasts three extracurricular jazz bands and one selfdirected combo. Each year, the school’s rigorous jazz program—under the direction of Kevin Schoenbach and Craig Roselieb—hosts a guest big band in November and a guest soloist in March; this year’s guests are the fusion band New Nostalgia, Bethany Robinson and Beloit Memorial High School. Additionally, the bands play out at restaurants, jazz clubs and festivals/competitions such as Purdue, Mundelein and Elmhurst.
Old Quarry Middle School makes history as the first middle school band to be included in the Invitational. The outstanding Jazz I Band is one of two jazz ensembles under the direction of Frank Alongi at the school, which serves students in grades 6-8. The ensemble performs a wide range of jazz literature, focusing on both traditional and contemporary big band styles. This year, the group has performed at the Midwest Clinic and the Jazz Education Network (JEN) Festival in New Orleans. Past performances include first-place awards at festivals hosted by Purdue University, Illinois State University and Jazz in the Meadows.
Traveling from northwest Indiana, Chesterton High School returns to the Invitational with its Jazz Ensemble. This auditioned group studies and performs a wide variety of styles including swing, Latin, funk and rock. The ensemble hosts two annual performances: Big Band Bash in the winter, and All That Jazz in May featuring guest artists from around the country. The CHS Jazz Ensemble is directed by Jon Flodder.
The York Community High School Jazz Program is directed by Michael Pavlik (Elmhurst University, Class of '96) and includes two jazz ensembles, a jazz combo and an All-City Middle School Jazz Ensemble. The York Jazz Combo is coached by Elmhurst University professor and saxophonist Dan Nicholson and by drummer Mason Lampa. In addition to its school-based ensembles, York has recently launched a monthly community jazz jam session in Elmhurst and hopes to expand participation beyond the school district. The York Music Department places the development of creativity and creative expression at the center of its curriculum, with jazz serving as a vital component of that mission.
Guitarist and composer Steve Kovalcheck brings a distinctive voice to modern jazz, a sound rooted in the blues, rock and country music of his Nashville upbringing and refined through decades of creative work. Now based in Colorado, he performs and records extensively across the United States and abroad, from The Hollywood Bowl to Dizzy’s Club CocaCola at Jazz at Lincoln Center to the Jazz Cruise, the Vail Jazz Party, and concert stages throughout Europe and Asia. His playing reflects a deep understanding of the jazz tradition while always carrying the soulful, earthy inflections of the blues, an element that remains at the heart of his music.
Kovalcheck’s upcoming release, Buckshot Blues, unites him with bassist Jon Hamar and master drummer Jeff Hamilton , who join him at the Elmhurst University Jazz Festival this weekend. Their collaboration showcases exciting interplay, where the blues, groove and swing vocabulary flow with both refinement and spontaneity. The record features Kovalcheck’s original compositions and arrangements, each shaped by the trio’s deep musical rapport and their shared commitment to musical clarity, rhythmic feel and storytelling. Buckshot Blues captures the warmth, humor and creative spark that define this musical partnership.
Kovalcheck’s versatility, accompanimental approach and expressive touch have made him a sought-after collaborator. He has performed and recorded with a range of artists, including Jeff Hamilton, John Clayton, Pat Bianchi, Terell Stafford, René Marie, Bobby Floyd, Lewis Nash, Danny Gottlieb, Chris Potter, Nicholas Payton and Howard Levy, among many others. His long association with legendary drummer Jeff Hamilton spans numerous projects, including the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and the Jeff Hamilton Organ Trio. Outside of the jazz world, Kovalcheck has also
worked with artists and producers such as Robinella and the CC Stringband, Carrie Rodriguez, Tommy Sims, Charles “Wigg” Walker, Russ Titelman and Don Williams, reflecting a musical background that bridges jazz, rock, country, funk and bluegrass.
As a bandleader and composer, Kovalcheck continues to expand his creative output. His albums Ghost Orchid, Stomping Ground and Nine Mile Hill showcase his blend of modern jazz language and roots-inspired writing. Forthcoming projects include a duo project with pianist and vocalist Dawn Clement as well as her Blossom Dearie tribute featuring Hamilton and bassist John Clayton. These projects reflect Kovalcheck’s ongoing exploration of blues, groove and harmonic color, while honoring the many traditions that inform his sound.
In addition to his work as a performer and recording artist, Kovalcheck is the Professor of Jazz Guitar at the University of Northern Colorado, where he teaches jazz guitar and improvisation in the university’s internationally recognized jazz studies program.
The Steve Kovalcheck Trio performs on Friday night, marking Festival debuts for Kovalcheck and Jon Hamar and a fourth Festival appearance for Jeff Hamilton.
Clarinetist-saxophonist Anat Cohen has won hearts and minds around the globe with her expressive virtuosity and magnetic stage presence, earning esteem both as a musician’s musician and as a performer who charms new recruits to the jazz art like few others. With her acclaimed albums, sold-out world tours, and Grammy Award nominations adding up over the past two and a half decades—not to mention the glowing profiles by such totemic outlets as NPR’s Fresh Air and The New York Times—it has become apparent that the Brooklyn-based Cohen has evolved into one of the music’s great border-bounding artists, educators and ambassadors. At the core of this, there is always her jubilant, ever-exploratory music-making, as a soloist, bandleader, collaborator and composer.
Cohen has been credited with “bringing the clarinet to the world,” (Fresh Air), and has long reigned as the top jazz clarinetist by the Jazz Journalists Association (every year since 2007), and the DownBeat readers and critics polls (every year since 2011).
A significant portion of Cohen’s creative output reflects her passion and talent for interpreting Brazilian music. Several of her albums are completely dedicated to the genre, including the Grammy-nominated Outra Coisa: The Music of Moacir Santos (with Brazilian guitarist Marcello Gonçalves) and the Grammy-nominated Rosa Dos Ventos (with Trio Brasileiro). These projects have solidified her status as “one of the world’s foremost practitioners of Brazilian music… She is now to the clarinet what Stan Getz was to the tenor saxophone in the 1960s: a jazz musician who speaks the language so fluently that she has become a beacon of Brazilian music to the larger jazz world” (DownBeat).
Bloom, Cohen’s 21st album as a leader or co-leader and the second with her small group Quartetinho, was issued to rave
reviews and supported by a hit transatlantic tour in 2024, with All About Jazz applauding the band’s “daring virtuosity and soulful joie de vivre.” Hot on the heels of that release came the 2025 record Interaction, which featured the clarinetist as part of 3 Cohens, the long-running family band that also stars her brothers, trumpeter Avishai and saxophonist Yuval (both ECM artists). They were recorded in concert with Germany’s WDR Big Band, an ensemble renowned not only for its sound but also its collaborative flair. The arranger-conductor for Interaction was Cohen’s frequent collaborator Oded Lev-Ari
A born collaborator, Cohen has worked with countless artists from Latin jazz star Paquito D’Rivera and breakout vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant to arthouse pianist Fred Hersch and the all-star, all-woman band Artemis, among others. Also a natural educator, Cohen teaches at the Stanford University Jazz Workshop in California and The New School in Manhattan, among other institutions, and she has been Jazz Artist-in-Residence at Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute.
Anat Cohen will be joined in Elmhurst this weekend by her Tentet of talented players along with her musical director and co-producer/co-arranger Oded Lev-Ari, whose knack for “putting lightning in a bottle” is evident on the band’s Grammy-nominated latest release, Triple Helix (DownBeat). The Chicago Tribune raves that the album’s three-movement concerto is “a work of considerable expressive reach” with a “sensuous tonal palette.” The Tentet has showcased at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room, and SFJAZZ’s Miner Auditorium. We are proud to welcome Anat Cohen and her Tentet for their Festival debut on Saturday night.
Denis DiBlasio is an internationally acclaimed saxophonist, flautist, composer, arranger, clinician and educator.
After receiving his master’s degree from the University of Miami, DiBlasio joined the big band of legendary trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, serving as Maynard’s musical director for five years. During this time, he further developed his virtuosity on the baritone saxophone and flute, his prodigious scat-vocal technique, and estimable skills as a composer and arranger.
DiBlasio’s distinct style of playing is characterized by its intensity, spontaneity, depth of expression and sheer joy. He appears regularly in club, concert, workshop and festival settings with The Denis DiBlasio Quartet. Their recent release, Rhino, features guest vocalist Suzanne Cloud. As a recording artist for Encounter and RadScape Records, DiBlasio has released a total of 12 records under his own name.
DiBlasio’s compositions, articles and arrangements are available through publishers Jamey Aebersold, Belwin, Hal Leonard, Kendor, Doug Beach Music, Roncorp, Vandoren, Kjos, Northeastern Music, Warner Brothers, Flute Talk, and Saxophone Journal. He has published five texts on jazz improvisation, written various articles, and composed etude books for flute, clarinet and saxophone. He is also an active online content creator, with dozens of videos on his YouTube channel and an online program, Composer’s Bootcam p, available through Northeastern Music Publications.
As a clinician for the Yamaha Musical Corporation, DiBlasio has taught and performed all over the United States; his “education as entertainment” style has also taken him to Thailand, Italy, Luxembourg, Prague, Canada, Mexico, Spain, France, Switzerland, Denmark and Japan. His unique combination of positive motivation, wit and humor ensures an atmosphere where making music is fun and students are encouraged to take risks. This approach keeps DiBlasio in constant demand.
Denis DiBlasio is the executive director of the Maynard Ferguson Institute of Jazz Studies at Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., where he also serves as full professor and director of the Jazz Performance and Composition Programs. He uses Vandoren products.
The Festival is proud to welcome DiBlasio back for the tenth time. His appearance is made possible, in part, through the generous support of the Yamaha Corporation.
Three-time Grammy Award winner Ulysses Owens Jr. is an internationally acclaimed performer, producer and educator hailed by The New York Times as a drummer who “take[s] a back seat to no one” and “a musician who balances excitement gracefully and shines with innovation.”
Owens’ extensive discography includes eight successful albums, including 2018’s Songs of Freedom and The Ulysses Owens Jr. Big Band album Soul Conversations. Owens’ recent release A New Beat, featuring his Generation Y Band, was named a top album of 2024 by both DownBeat and JAZZIZ and topped the JazzWeek radio charts for eight weeks. Generation Y recently completed an international tour and went viral on YouTube (8.5 million views and counting) for their on-the-spot jazz cover of Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box.”
In addition to his recordings and projects as a leader, Owens has also gained special attention as a dynamic collaborator. He earned Grammy Awards for his performances on albums by Kurt Elling, The Christian McBride Big Band, and The Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra. In 2024-25, Owens made his Broadway debut playing drums for A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical, for which he was hand-picked by the legendary Branford Marsalis.
Owens was named Jazz Drummer of 2024 by the Modern Drummer magazine readers poll and was featured on the cover of their December issue; that same year, he won
Drumeo’s Jazz Drummer of the Year award. The 2025 DownBeat readers poll crowned Owens the Rising Star Jazz Drummer of the Year as well.
Owens' impact extends far beyond the stage. He serves on the jazz faculty at The Juilliard School, and his contributions as an educator further include a number of online jazz drum video courses, the live YouTube series From The Drummer’s Perspective, and three books. A creative writer and ambassador for jazz at large, Owens is also a regular contributor to DownBeat, JazzTimes and more, and has expanded his reach with featured articles in The New York Times
Despite being one of the most sought-after creatives of his generation, Owens remains committed to making a difference in the lives of others. Still intimately connected to his home state of Florida, Owens is the artistic director for his family’s Jacksonville-based arts nonprofit, Don’t Miss A Beat. His extensive recognition from other organizations in the region includes the Robert Arleigh White Award for Advocacy, the Beacon College “Difference Maker” Award, and induction into the Jacksonville Music Hall of Fame.
This is Owens' first appearance at the Elmhurst University Jazz Festival. A proud Gretsch artist, he will be performing on Gretsch drums throughout the weekend.
Augustana College returns to the Festival this year from Rock Island, Illinois, with a performance by the Augustana Jazz Ensemble on Sunday afternoon. Directed by Dr. Joel Linscheid, the ensemble performs four concerts each year, focusing on a wide variety of big band styles and including music by composers/bandleaders such as Count Basie, Mary Lou Williams, Duke Ellington, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Charles Mingus and Maria Schneider. The ensemble is one of two big bands at Augustana College, along with three jazz combos.
A frequent presence at the Festival, the College of DuPage brings two of their Community Jazz Ensembles to the Sunday session. Directed by Matt Shevitz, the Community Jazz Ensemble gives numerous performances each year both on and off campus, and has accompanied guest artists such as Fareed Haque, Dee Alexander, Jens Lindemann, Victor Garcia and Mark Colby. In 2004, the ensemble was recognized by the United States House of Representatives for its work on behalf of the Armed Forces Children’s Education Fund. COD is Illinois’ largest community college and houses Chicagoland’s preeminent jazz radio station WDCB 90.9 FM, an oasis for jazz lovers.
The award-winning Columbia College Fusion Ensemble performs contemporary jazz and original music, blending elements of jazz, R&B and rock. The ensemble has performed with nationally known jazz artists in Chicago and with Wycliffe Gordon at the Jazz Education Network Conference in New Orleans. The ensemble has been performing at the Elmhurst and Notre Dame Jazz festivals for more than 10 years, receiving outstanding performance awards every year. It has also won numerous DownBeat Student Music Awards, including Best Jazz Combo. Recent graduates include a Grammy-winning gospel musician, a DownBeat “Rising Star,” and the horn arranger for Harry Styles. The Fusion Ensemble opens the Festival’s 3:00 p.m. Friday session this year, under the direction of Bill Boris.
Host Elmhurst University is represented by four ensembles at the 59th Festival. Elmhurst’s top combo, directed by Neal Alger, opens the Saturday evening session, and Amy Yassinger’s renowned Late Night Blues vocal jazz ensemble kicks things off on Sunday. The Elmhurst University Lab Band will perform later Sunday afternoon, led by Dan Nicholson. The internationally-acclaimed Elmhurst University Jazz Band, directed by Kirk Garrison, will perform midday concerts on Thursday and Friday with our guest artists, as well as a set of their own to close out the Festival on Sunday.
Harper College, located in the northwest Chicago suburb of Palatine, is another Illinois community college with a vibrant jazz program that appears frequently at the Festival. The Jazz Orchestra is the college’s entry level large jazz ensemble, where students develop the foundations of their musicianship as well as their understanding of jazz style and tradition. The more advanced Jazz Ensemble enriches the cultural landscape of the college and surrounding area through regular performances and community outreach. Both ensembles proudly bring together students of all ages, genders and ethnic backgrounds in a collaborative and inclusive musical environment. Directed by Kirby Fellis, the Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble can both be heard on Sunday afternoon.
Illinois Wesleyan University joins us once again from Bloomington with its Jazz Combo. This group focuses on developing students’ knowledge of jazz repertoire and honing their improvisation skills, while also providing opportunities for students to perform, record, arrange and compose music. Under the direction of James Mauck, the Jazz Combo plays on Friday afternoon.
A Festival regular, the Joliet Junior College Jazz Band is a community group consisting of a wide range of ages and experience levels. Directed by Rich Moore, the ensemble provides an educational and creative outlet for both traditional and nontraditional students residing in the Joliet Junior College District 525. Notable performances include recreations of historically significant big band recordings, such as Count Basie’s Kansas City Suite, Duke Ellington’s Far East Suite, and Central City Sketches by Benny Carter and the American Jazz Orchestra. The JJC Jazz Band takes the stage on Sunday afternoon.
Newberry College joins us all the way from Newberry, South Carolina, with the College Street Jazz Connection. This advanced combo performs regularly both on and off campus, including appearances at the Downhome Jazz Festival in Dothan, Alabama, and the Crescent City Jazz Festival in New Orleans. The group performs a mix of various styles, including swing standards, bebop, cool jazz, blues and Latin, as well as arrangements and original compositions by the ensemble members. Under the direction of Dr. Barry McGinnis, the College Street Jazz Connection plays on Saturday evening.
Ohio University makes its return to the Festival with Jazz Ensemble I, directed by Matthew James. This big band is one of five jazz ensembles offered at OU, which boasts a longstanding tradition of excellent jazz education and performance, including a jazz minor that is open to all students. The annual Athens Jazz Festival features these student groups, guest artists and faculty in a week-long celebration that includes events on the OU campus and at other venues in southeast Ohio. Jazz Ensemble I can be heard on Saturday afternoon.
Hailing from Bourbonnais, Illinois, Olivet Nazarene University is represented this year by its Jazz Combo, directed by Dr. Matt Jacklin. ONU musicians have been recognized by the Festival in recent years with an “Outstanding Ensemble” award for the Jazz Combo in 2024 and several honors for individual students. The university’s thriving jazz program includes three more jazz combos, two pop/rock combos, a big band and a vocal jazz ensemble. The Jazz Combo has performed at the Orbert Davis Jazz & Family Festival and numerous other events around campus and the community; this year, they open the Festival’s 11:30 a.m. session on Saturday.
Purdue University brings two ensembles to the Festival this year, both directed by Bethany Robinson. The Saturday evening session features the Purdue Jazz Band, the school’s premier jazz ensemble. The Jazz Band has performed with world-renowned artists like Camille Thurman, Wycliffe Gordon and Bob Mintzer, as well as at major international jazz festivals such as Montreux and North Sea. On Saturday afternoon, Festival audiences can hear the Purdue Jazz Combo, an elite small ensemble that comprises students from the Purdue Jazz Band.
The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music returns to the Festival this year with Saturday afternoon performances from its Jazz Orchestra, directed by Scott Belck, and Jazz Lab Band, led by Craig Bailey. Both groups perform a wide variety of styles and have participated in the school’s composer residency programs featuring artists like Maria Schneider, Jim McNeely and Slide Hampton. The Jazz Orchestra is CCM’s premier big band, and has been featured at numerous professional festivals and educational conferences, including the Jazz Educators Network International Conference. The ensemble also has an ongoing affiliation with Jazz at Lincoln Center, having performed at its annual Essentially Ellington Festival, Jack Rudin Collegiate Jazz Championships, and a residency with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in São Paulo, Brazil.
A familiar presence at the Festival, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater returns with its top two big bands. The Music Department at UWW offers a B.M. and a B.A. in music and serves students with nearly 130 different majors. Jazz Ensemble II is composed primarily of non-majors and music education majors, and presents regular concerts on the UWW
campus. The school’s top big band, Jazz Ensemble I, is composed of all undergraduate students and has appeared at numerous jazz festivals including the University of Louisville Jazz Festival. Brad Townsend leads Jazz Ensemble II and Michael Hackett leads Jazz Ensemble I in their performances on Saturday afternoon.
In order to keep the Festival schedule running in a timely fashion, all participating groups are asked to adhere to set time limits. A big band is allowed 30 minutes, a combo 20 minutes and a vocal jazz ensemble 20 minutes.
Big bands participating in Thursday’s High School Invitational are each allowed 30 minutes onstage, followed by an offstage clinic with one guest artist/adjudicator and one member of our Elmhurst University jazz faculty.
Video and audio recording are allowed for university ensemble performances only–these activities are strictly prohibited for our feature performances. Flash photography is prohibited for all performances. Thank you for your cooperation.
2026
Anat Cohen Tentet directed by Oded Lev-Ari
Denis DiBlasio
Steve Kovalcheck Trio featuring Jeff Hamilton and Jon Hamar
Ulysses Owens Jr.
2025
Sharel Cassity
Danny Gottlieb
Ryan Keberle
Dave Stryker
WDR Big Band directed by Bob Mintzer
Yellowjackets
2024
The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra directed by Scotty Banhart
Orbert Davis
Marshall Gilkes
Maria Schneider Orchestra
Gary Smulyan
Anthony Wilson
2023
Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band
Tamir Hendelman
Dennis Mackrel
John Pizzarelli Trio
Terell Stafford
2022
John Beasley’s MONK’estra
Wayne Bergeron
Denis DiBlasio
Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Steve Wiest
2021
Matt Wilson’s Arts & Crafts
Ryan Truesdell’s Gil Evans Project presents Birth of the Cool
Kurt Elling
Dennis Mackrel
Donny McCaslin
Terell Stafford
High School Invitational:
Jay Anderson
Ryan Keberle
Alexa Tarantino
Ryan Truesdell
2020
The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra directed by Scotty Barnhart
Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra
Bobby Floyd
Dennis Mackrel
Bobby Shew
Gary Smulyan
2019
Michael Davis and the Hip-Bone Big Band
John Fedchock New York Big Band
Randy Brecker
Bill Evans
Mike Stern
2018
Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra
Maria Schneider Orchestra
Sean Jones
Jiggs Whigham
Matt Wilson
2017
Michael Abene
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Denis DiBlasio
Bill Holman Big Band
Pat LaBarbera
Dennis Mackrel
Rufus Reid
Bobby Shew
Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Patrick Williams Big Band
2016
Michael Davis
Donny McCaslin
Bob Mintzer Band
Ryan Truesdell and the Gil Evans
Project
Scott Wendholt
2015
Jimmy Heath & the Jimmy Heath Big Band
Bill Holman
Sean Jones
Ralph Lalama
Dennis Mackrel
2014
The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra directed by Scotty Barnhart
Andy Martin
Bobby Shew
Gary Smulyan
Ryan Truesdell and the Gil Evans Project
2013
Denis DiBlasio
Dave Douglas Quintet
Bobby Floyd
Dennis Mackrel
Maria Schneider Orchestra
Byron Stripling
2012
Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra
Jeff Hamilton
Tamir Hendelman
Christoph Luty
University of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band with Mark Colby, Denis DiBlasio & Frank Greene
2011
Michael Abene
Mark Colby
Dennis Mackrel
Simone
Byron Stripling
Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Matt Wilson’s Arts & Crafts
2010
Michael Davis
Gordon Goodwin’s
Big Phat Band
Phil Markowitz
Gary Smulyan
Patrick Williams with Wayne Bergeron, Warren Luening, Tom Scott & Bill Watrous
2009
Wayne Bergeron
Denis DiBlasio
Steve Wiest
Bill Holman Band
Maria Schneider Orchestra
2008
Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra
Dennis Mackrel
Mingus Big Band
Gary Smulyan
Jiggs Whigham
2007
Denis DiBlasio
Matt Harris
Bob Mintzer Big Band
John Pizzarelli
Quartet
Bobby Shew
Matt Wilson’s Arts & Crafts
2006
Matt Harris
Joe Lovano Quartet
Eric Marienthal
University of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band
Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Steve Wiest
2005
Bill Holman Band
Dave Holland
Quintet
Steve Houghton
Clay Jenkins
Nicholas Payton
Quintet
Bob Sheppard
2004
Patti Austin
Mark Colby
Michael Davis
Orbert Davis
Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band
Phil Markowitz
2003
Count Basie Orchestra, directed by Grover Mitchell, featuring Butch
Miles
Dennis Mackrel
Bob Mintzer Big Band
Bobby Shew
Gary Smulyan
2002
Tim Hagans
Frank Mantooth
Nicholas Payton’s Louis Armstrong Celebration
Chris Vadala
Phil Woods Quintet
2001
Jeremy Davenport
John Fedchock’s New York Big Band
Matt Harris
Pat LaBarbera
Clark Terry
2000
Dee Dee
Bridgewater
Denis DiBlasio
The Bob Florence Limited Edition
Frank Mantooth
Byron Stripling
1999
Michael Abene
Maynard Ferguson & Big Bop Nouveau
Diana Krall Trio
Lanny Morgan
Bobby Shew
1998
Mark Colby
Orbert Davis
Bill Holman Band
Frank Mantooth
Mark Whitfield
1997
Bob Bowman
Denis DiBlasio
Steve Erquiaga
Nicholas Payton
Howie Smith
Ed Soph
1996
Randy Brecker
Ronnie Cuber
Kevin Mahogany
Frank Mantooth
University of North
Texas One O’Clock
Lab Band
1995
Pete Christlieb
Conte Candoli
Bob Rummage
Clark Terry
1994
Nick Brignola
Paul McKee
Orbert Davis
Frank Mantooth
1993
Tom Garling
Bud Harner
Mike Tomaro
New York Voices
1992
Louie Bellson
Conte Candoli
Pete Christlieb
Denis DiBlasio
Terry Gibbs
Lee Konitz
Frank Mantooth
Roger Schueler
Bobby Shew
Kelly Sill
Clark Terry
Uncle Festive
Jiggs Whigham 1991
Bob Bowker
Alan Broadbent
Bill Evans
Art Farmer
Frank Mantooth
1989
Denis DiBlasio
Frank Mantooth
Bobby Shew
1988
Pat LaBarbera
Roger Schueler
Ed Soph
Clark Terry 1987
Conte Candoli
Kelly Sill
Jiggs Whigham 1986
Steve Houghton
Rob McConnell
Bobby Shew 1985
Louie Bellson
Bunky Green
Warren Kime
Frank Mantooth
1984
Ashley Alexander
Dick Buckley
Terry Gibbs
Frank Mantooth
1983
Gary Foster 1990
1978
Don Menza
Dan Morgenstern
Kai Winding
1977
Jamey Aebersold
Louie Bellson
Dan Morgenstern
1976
Jamey Aebersold
James Coffin
Paul Tolosko
Thad Jones/Mel
Lewis Jazz
Orchestra
1975
Jerry Coleman
Joe Daley
Paul Tolosko
1974
James Coffin
John LaPorta
Rev. George Wiskirchen
1973
Julian “Cannonball”
Adderley
David Baker
Nathan Davis
Rich Matteson
Rufus Reid
Bob Tilles
1972
David Baker
Pete Christlieb
Jay Daversa
Les Hooper 1982
Bob Brookmeyer
Dick Buckley
Clark Terry
Dick Buckley
Bud Harner
Lee Konitz
Rob McConnell
Dick Buckley
Barrett Deems
Milt Jackson
Don Rader
Dan Morgenstern
Clark Terry
Paul Tolosko
Ernie Wilkins
Bunky Green
Buddy Montgomery
Rufus Reid
Cy Touff
1971
Dizzy Gillespie
Ron Modell
Charles Suber
1970
David Baker
Marian McPartland
Howie Smith
Bob Tilles
1969
Joe Daley
Robert Share
Bob Tilles
Phil Wilson
1968
Jamey Aebersold
David Baker
Bob Tilles
Phil Wilson
Albion College
American Conservatory of Music
Aquinas College
Ashland University
Augustana College
Austin Peay State University
Baldwin-Wallace College
Ball State University
Boston College
Bowling Green State University
Bradley University
Butler University
California State University, Long Beach
Calvin University
Capital University
Carroll College
Case Western Reserve
University
Cedarville University
Central College
Central Michigan University
Central Missouri State University
Central State University
Chicago Conservatory of Music
Chicago State University
Clark Terry Institute of Jazz Studies
Clarke University
College of DuPage
College of Lake County
College of St. Benedict/St.
John's University
Collin County Community College
Columbia College Chicago
Concordia University
Culver-Stockton College
DePaul University
DePauw University
Dordt College
Drake University
Duquesne University
Eastern Illinois University
Eastern Michigan University
Elgin Community College
Elmhurst University
Ferris State College
Governors State University
Grand Rapids Community College
Grand Valley State College
Grinnell College
Gustavus Adolphus College
Harold Washington College
Harper College
Heartland College
Hillsdale College
Hope College
Illinois Central College
Illinois State University
Illinois Wesleyan University
Indiana University, Bloomington
Indiana University, South Bend
Indiana-Purdue, Fort Wayne
Indiana-Purdue, Indianapolis
Iowa State University
Jefferson College
Joliet Junior College
Judson University
Kansas City Kansas Community College
Karlovarsky Repre Band
Kaskaskia College
Kellogg Community College
Kennedy-King College
Kent State University
Kenyon College
Kirkwood Community College
Knox College
KUG Honors Ensemble, Austria
Lake Forest College
Lawrence University
Liberty University
Lincoln College
Lincoln Trail Community College
Lindenwood University
Lorain County Community College
Loyola University, New Orleans
Macalester College
Malcolm X College
Marian University
Marshall University
Mayville State University
McHenry County College
McNally Smith College of Music
Memphis State University
Miami University (Ohio)
Michigan State University
Millikin University
Mineral Area College
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Missouri Western State College
Monmouth College
Moraine Valley Community College
Morehead State University
Morningside College
Morton College
Murray State University
Newberry College
North Park University
Northeastern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University
Northern Kentucky University
Northern Michigan University
Northwestern University
Oakland University
Oakton Community College
Oberlin Conservatory
Ohio Northern University
The Ohio State University
Ohio University
Olivet Nazarene University
Penn State University
Principia College
Purdue University
Quincy University
Rock Valley College
Roosevelt University (Chicago College of Performing Arts)
Slippery Rock University
South Suburban College
Southeast Missouri State University
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville
Southern University
St. Mary's University, Minnesota
St. Norbert College
St. Xavier University
Taylor University
Temple University
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Texas Christian University
Tiffin University
Trevecca Nazarene University
Triton College
University of Akron
University of Arkansas at Monticello
University of Calgary
University of Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music
University of Connecticut
University of Dayton
University of Evansville
University of Findlay
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois, Chicago
University of Indianapolis
University of Iowa
University of Kentucky
University of Louisville
University of Manitoba
University of Mary
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota, Morris
University of Missouri, Columbia University of Missouri, Kansas City
University of Missouri, St. Louis
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
University of Northern Iowa
University of North Texas
University of Notre Dame
University of South Dakota
University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire
University of Wisconsin, Green Bay
University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse
University of Wisconsin, Madison
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
University of Wisconsin, Platteville
University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point
University of Wisconsin, Whitewater
Valdosta State University
Vandercook College of Music
Waubonsee Community College
Wayne State University
Western Illinois University
Western Michigan University
Wheaton College
Whitworth University
William Penn College
Winona State University
Wisconsin Conservatory of Music
Wright College
Wright State University
All items are available for purchase in the lobby. Please ask our Festival staff for assistance.
The Festival has always offered for sale a number of unique designs, including each year's signature artwork.
Learn about the rich history of the Festival with this book, created in celebration of the event’s 50th anniversary.
Select items featuring retro Jazz Festival logos. CDS
Recordings by the Elmhurst University Jazz Band are available.
Elmhurst University is thrilled to announce a generous gift of $265,000 that will benefit the renowned Jazz Festival and two scholarship programs for students who participate in the Elmhurst University Jazz Band.
Jazz Band alumni and longtime supporters of the annual Jazz Festival, who wish to remain anonymous, recently made a gift commitment to establish the Jazz Festival Endowed Fund. Proceeds can be used to support any aspect of the Festival, which is one of the country’s oldest collegiate jazz festivals and is celebrating its 59th year.
The gift also supports the Jim Cunningham Jazz Scholarship, named for the founder of the Elmhurst University Jazz Festival; and the Doug Beach Jazz Scholarship Fund, which honors the acclaimed Jazz Band’s longtime director and his significant contributions to the University and his profession. Proceeds from both scholarships benefit students who participate in the Jazz Band.
The donors, who performed at the Elmhurst University Jazz Festival as students in the Jazz Band, made the gift to honor the value of their experience, and to ensure that it would be available to other students for years to come.
"For almost 60 years, the Jazz Festival has been an important cultural event on the campus calendar, inspiring thousands of students and jazz fans throughout that time,” said Chris Parsons ’11, festival director and an alumnus member of the Jazz Band. “With this generous gift, the Festival, which was brought to life by Jim Cunningham and flourished under the direction of Doug Beach, will be able to uphold the mission of fostering educational experiences in jazz, and will continue to serve as a showcase for its premiere talent.”
The Elmhurst University Jazz Festival welcomes top college and university bands from around the country to participate in performances, master classes and more with some of the greatest names in professional jazz. In the evenings, featured artists give concerts that draw thousands to campus for the dynamic, unforgettable music.
“We greatly appreciate this generous gift,” said Elmhurst University President Troy D. VanAken, “and the donors’ role in helping to provide extraordinary opportunities like these for our students and the broader community.”
The Elmhurst University Jazz Festival gratefully acknowledges the generous support of our sponsors.
CLARK TERRY LEVEL:
$10,000 AND ABOVE
Sylvia and William W. Gretsch Memorial Foundation
City of Elmhurst’s Explore Elmhurst Community Grant Program
Elmhurst University Jazz Band Alumni
DOC SEVERINSEN LEVEL:
$7,500 - $9,999
WDCB Jazz - 90.9 FM
LOUIS ARMSTRONG LEVEL:
$5,000 - $7,499
Anonymous Mike's Drum Shop
DUKE ELLINGTON LEVEL:
$2,500 - $4,999
The Jim Cunningham Trust
Mil Ovan, Class of ‘79 Downbeat Magazine
CHARLIE PARKER LEVEL:
$1,000 - $2,499
Anonymous DANSR, Inc.
Anonymous in Memory of Mark Colby and Frank Caruso
Lessons by Brooke & Company Laser Piano Service
MILES DAVIS LEVEL:
$500 - $999
Bill and Jill Chittenden
Dr. & Mrs. Charles Falk
Gregory Gills
Manelli / Tet / The Rabbit - Paul Raneiri, Steve Tetrev, Greg Wangren in Memory of Paul Tolosko
George Shutack
Yamaha Corporation of America
CHET BAKER LEVEL:
$300 - $499
Community Bank of Elmhurst
Travis and Jennifer Duffield
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Ecklund
Dr. Gary Kiltz
Mike and Laura Pinto
JOHN COLTRANE LEVEL:
$100 - $299
Anonymous
Nicholas Avgerinos
Dr. Les and Sarah Caltvedt
Carolyn Graves, in Memory of Jack and Peggy Cashman
Christine Hunka
Nancy James
Dwaine and Chris Keller
Kathleen Mallen
Tracey and Paul Nielsen
Ann & Tim Paumbo
Thomas Paprocki
Thomas Tierney
The Jim Cunningham Jazz Band Scholarship Fund
Established by friends and former students to honor the legacy of Festival founder Jim Cunningham, this fund provides scholarship support to members of the Elmhurst University Jazz Band.
The Doug Beach Jazz Scholarship Fund
Established in 2022 in honor of longtime Elmhurst University Jazz Band Director Doug Beach, this fund provides scholarship support to academically eligible students who are members of an Elmhurst University jazz group and demonstrate financial need.
ELLA FITZGERALD LEVEL:
$26 - $99
Ken and Marge Bartels
Charlene Hill
Phil Domines
Marianne and Kenneth Kerr
Dr. Mary Kay and John Mulvaney
Kent and Sue Nicholson
Dr. Sam Reese
Quent Lang
BENNY GOODMAN LEVEL: UP TO $25
Corey Bennett
Aiden Blomwillis
Michael Kozlowski
Veena Kulkarni
Carol Kulpa
Wayne Madle
Lawrence Mais
Recognition of gifts includes donations made before February 16, 2026.
The Maureen Lamberty Heakin International Artists Series for Jazz Studies in Honor of Doug Beach
Established in 2021, this fund enables the Elmhurst University Music Department to continue to bring internationally known jazz artists to campus so that students can experience, firsthand, how the master performers think, create and view life.
The Elmhurst University Jazz Festival
The Elmhurst University Jazz Festival is a unique experience that allows students the opportunity to meet, perform for, and learn from some of the most prominent names in jazz. Your contribution guarantees that the Festival will maintain its reputation of excellence and will continue to be a major force in jazz education.
Please mark your calendar for April 16, Elmhurst University’s annual giving day. You can make your gift online at elmhurst.edu/Give, call (866) 794-1075, or mail a check to Elmhurst University Office of Institutional Advancement, 190 S. Prospect Avenue, Elmhurst, IL 60126. Please designate where you would like your gift to be directed.
Your hosts for our 59th Festival include some old and new friends who all share a common interest: a passion for jazz. Joining us for his fifteenth stint is 90.9 FM WDCB DJ Jay Greene. Jay’s radio show gives you a proper start to your weekend; tune him in every Saturday morning from 7:00-10:00 a.m.
Joining us for the fifth time as an MC is Elmhurst alum Andrew Ecklund Andrew played trumpet in the Elmhurst University Jazz Band for three years and previously served on our faculty as an instructor of digital music. He is also an accomplished guitarist, singer, composer and arranger, with his original advertising music earning spots in national campaigns for Apple, Google and Mountain Dew.
We are delighted to welcome back Jazz Studies director emeritus and former Elmhurst University Jazz Band director Doug Beach Doug served as director of the Jazz Festival for 28 of his 43 years at Elmhurst, and he continues to guide the event’s vision and development even in semi-retirement as Festival consigliere.
One familiar face that we will be missing this year is longtime Festival MC, Bob Foskett . Bob will be in recovery from a medical procedure and will have to sit this one out. The Festival Staff has contacted his medical team, urging that he receive only the utmost care and attention. We also reminded them that he’s allergic to two things - Country and Western. We’re keeping Bob in our thoughts, hoping for a quick and speedy recovery and look forward to having him back next year.
Since the Festival began in 1968, our team of student volunteers has been an instrumental part of its reputation as one of the best-run college festivals in America. Among these volunteers, no one carries more responsibility throughout the weekend than the student managers, who must command the respect of their peers while being popular leaders. This year’s student managers, Christopher Tejeda and Aldre Delos Santos, fulfill this demanding role impressively.
Christopher Tejeda is a senior saxophonist majoring in Music Performance with a minor in Jazz Studies at Elmhurst University. This is Christopher's fourth year working on the Festival, having served as a judge host his first year and as one of the student managers for the past three years. Christopher has played in a wide range of ensembles at Elmhurst, including Saxophone Quartet, Saxophone Trio, Jazz Combo, Clarinet Choir, Flute Choir, Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band. For the past three consecutive years, Christopher was selected to perform in Elmhurst University’s honor recitals, and in 2023 he was one of three winners in the EU Concerto Competition. Christopher is also a head resident advisor on campus and is the saxophone instructor at Glenbard North High School.
Aldre Delos Santos is a sophomore at Elmhurst University majoring in Music Business with minors in Communications and Jazz Studies. He is involved in Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Combo and Philharmonic Orchestra. On campus, Aldre serves as a peer advisor, music librarian and social media editor for the EU Bands. In addition to his activities at Elmhurst, he is a member of GrammyU and works as a College Marketing Representative at Arista Records. This is Aldre's first year serving as a student manager for the Festival.
Director
Chris Parsons
Assistant Director
Dan Nicholson
Director of Jazz Studies, Jazz Band & High School Invitational
Kirk Garrison
Artistic and Development Consultant
Doug Beach
Student Managers
Christopher Tejeda
Aldre Delos Santos
MCs
Doug Beach, Andrew Ecklund, Jay Greene
Sound
John Born
Livestream
Nate Baxter
Office Manager
Gabby Bandera
Print Program Editor
Laura Pinto
Drum Tech
Matt Kellen
STUDENT SECTION HEADS
House
Ava Irarragorry, Eliana Kiltz
Tickets
Taylor Nygren, Izzy Suarez
Security
Xavier Martinez
Stage Crew
John Pinns
Livestream
Dylan Catapat
Ian Murphy
Sound
Hannah Hadraba
Guest Artist Hosts
Ian Martinez, Alex Smith
Featured Performers Host
Karabeth Footman
Participant Band Host
Lissette Hernandez
Public Relations
Marri Baez, Bartlomiej Sporna
All times are Central Standard Time
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26
9:30 a.m. Session (High School Invitational)
Buffalo Grove High School – Buffalo Grove, Illinois
Dundee-Crown High School – Carpentersville, Illinois
McHenry Community High School – McHenry, Illinois
Mundelein High School – Mundelein, Illinois
Feature Performance (at approx. 12:00 p.m.)
Denis DiBlasio and Ulysses Owens Jr. with the Elmhurst University Jazz Band
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27
9:30 a.m. Session (High School Invitational)
Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage – Wheaton, Illinois
Metea Valley High School – Aurora, Illinois
Oswego High School – Oswego, Illinois
Old Quarry Middle School – Lemont, Illinois
Feature Performance (at approx. 12:00 p.m.)
Denis DiBlasio and Ulysses Owens Jr. with the Elmhurst University Jazz Band
1:30 p.m. Session (High School Invitational)
Chesterton High School – Chesterton, Indiana
York Community High School – Elmhurst, Illinois
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28
9:30 a.m. Clinic
Free clinic/masterclass with Denis DiBlasio and Ulysses Owens Jr.
11:30 a.m. Session
Olivet Nazarene University – Combo
Purdue University – Combo
Ohio University – Big Band
1:30 p.m. Session (High School Invitational)
Northview High School – Grand Rapids, Michigan
Yorkville High School – Yorkville, Illinois
Lake Zurich High School – Lake Zurich, Illinois
Fenwick High School – Oak Park, Illinois
3:00 p.m. Session
Columbia College Chicago – Fusion Ensemble
Illinois Wesleyan University – Combo
7:00 p.m. Session
Newberry College – Combo
Feature Performance
Denis DiBlasio and Ulysses Owens Jr.
with the Elmhurst University Jazz Band
Steve Kovalcheck Trio featuring Jeff Hamilton and Jon Hamar
7:00 p.m. Session
Elmhurst University – Combo
Purdue University – Big Band
Feature Performance
Anat Cohen Tentet
Oded Lev-Ari, Musical Director
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music – Big Band II
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater – Big Band II
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music – Big Band I
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater – Big Band I
SUNDAY, MARCH 1
11:30 a.m. Session
Elmhurst University – Vocal Jazz
Augustana College – Big Band
Joliet Junior College – Big Band
Harper College – Big Band I
College of DuPage – Big Band
Harper College – Big Band II
College of DuPage – Big Band II
Elmhurst University - Lab Band
Announcement of Outstanding Ensembles
Elmhurst University — Big Band
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT VIDEO AND AUDIO RECORDING ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED DURING OUR FEATURE PERFORMANCES. FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY IS PROHIBITED DURING ALL PERFORMANCES.