In addition to the Competition & Festival in New York City each May, Essentially Ellington co-produces non-competitive, education-focused festivals designed to offer high school jazz bands of all levels the opportunity to perform the music of Duke Ellington and other seminal big band composers and arrangers at various locations across the country. Participating bands receive professional feedback from JALC clinicians and other jazz professionals in their own backyard.

2023 Regional Festivals will take place at the following locations:

Casper, WY
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
Casper College-Kinser Jazz Festival
For more information, please contact Joshua Mietz at joshuamietz@caspercollege.edu

St. Louis, MO
Thursday, February 9, 2023
University of Missouri
For more information, please contact Bennett Wood at bennett@jazzstl.org  

Las Vegas, NV
Friday-Saturday, February 17-18. 2023
University of Las Vegas, Nevada
For more information, please contact info@joi-lv.org or 702-473-9416

Chapel Hill, NC 
Saturday, February 18, 2023
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
Click HERE for more information

Chicago, IL
Saturday, February 18, 2023
Jazz in the Chi Festival
For more information, please contact Darius Hampton at darius@jazzinchicago.org or visit www.jazzinchicago.org/jazz-in-the-chi-festival 

Provo, UT 
Saturday, February 18, 2023
Brigham Young University
For more information, please contact Ben Nichols at benjamin_nichols@byu.edu 

Sun Prairie, WI
Saturday, February 18, 2023
Sun Prairie High School
For more information, please contact Matt McVeigh at msmcvei@sunprairieschools.org

Orlando, FL
Sunday, February 19, 2023
Dr. Phillips Center
For more information, please contact Brooke Schellpfeffer at brooke.schellpfeffer@drphillipscenter.org

Houston, TX 
Friday, March 3, 2023
Texas Southern University
For more information, please contact Vincent Gardner at vgadner@jazzhouston.org   

Philadelphia, PA 
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Temple University
For more information, please contact Daniel Levine at daniel.levine@temple.edu  

Edwardsville, IL
Friday, March 24, 2023
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
For more information, please contact Ricky Haydon at rhaydon@siue.edu

Cincinnati, OH 
Saturday, March 25, 2023
University of Cincinnati
For more information, please contact Scott Belck at belcksb@ucmail.uc.edu

Greenwich, CT
Saturday, March 25, 2023
Greenwich High School
For more information please contact Jason Polise at jason_polise@greenwich.k12.ct.us  

 Nashville, TN
Friday, April 14, 2023
Tennessee State University
For more information, please contact Professor James Sexton at jsexton@tnstate.edu  

Livingston, NJ
Saturday, April 15, 2023
Newark Academy
For more information, please contact Julius Tolentino at jtolentino@newarka.edu 

East Lansing, MI 
Saturday, April 22, 2022
Michigan State University
For more information, please contact Cookey Whitaker at cookeywhitaker@gmail.com 

Winchester, VA
Thursday, May 4, 2023
Shenandoah Conservatory
For more information, please contact Matt Niess at mattniess@mac.com or (703) 732-2639.

*Each regional festival is uniquely its own. Please contact the festival directors for more information on specific locations.