Founded in 1986, San Jose Jazz is a 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation that celebrates jazz as a dynamic, evolving art form and is producer of the annual San Jose Jazz Summer Fest and Winter Fest. With its singular music programming and innovative educational offerings, SJZ preserves the jazz tradition while actively supporting the next generation of performers within the genre and beyond.

It’s proven that music education and music making have profound positive benefits on children’s development including enhanced abilities in reading and mathematics; development of perseverance; higher levels of reasoning and the ability to work with others to accomplish something larger than themselves. Beginning with our first Summer Jazz Camp in 1997 San Jose Jazz has made music education the heart of our mission. In the 2019-20 year we will serve more than 1,000students with five programs that work in tandem to foster learning, growth and excellence in students throughout their scholastic journey from grades 2-12.

Our performance programming kicked off over three decades ago with a lively series of Sunday afternoon concerts, and it hasn’t stopped growing. But it’s much more than just a great party. With our programming we connect with and represent the diverse and ever-changing population of the Bay Area. With scores of admission-free concerts and jams per year in San Jose venues and on our mobile Boombox Truck stage, we support the local ecosystem of musicians with gigs and resources that help them to do their work. With our Jazz Beyond programming stream, we actively seek out new audiences and groundbreaking artists that are pushing the music forward.

We don’t just create programs and wait for an audience; we believe in bringing the power of music to the people. With in-School Master Classes, our mobile Boombox Truck stage and the internationally touring SJZ Collective, we share the rich cultural legacy of jazz and the artistry of Silicon Valley musicians with local students, Bay Area audiences and the world.

As a 501(c)(3) public benefit organization, San Jose Jazz operates with the highest standards of fiscal stewardship, and works for the inclusion of everyone in its staff, board, education initiatives and music programming.

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