Members of the United States Air Force Band’s Airmen of Note pose with their instruments at Mount Rushmore. (Photo courtesy of Syracuse International Jazz Fest)
Jazz Fest Celebrates 40th Year With Campus Events
The University is again a proud sponsor of the Syracuse International Jazz Fest, a four-day celebration of world-class jazz music and community spirit, taking place July 9-12 at Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards in LaFayette, New York, and on the Syracuse University campus.
As it marks its 40th anniversary, the Syracuse International Jazz Fest enters an exciting new era, expanding its footprint while staying true to its roots. This year’s lineup includes such internationally acclaimed artists as Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Tower of Power, Gunhild Carling, Hejira, Dumpstaphunk, and Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas, along with the University’s own student jazz ensemble, Orange Juice.
The grand finale of the Syracuse International Jazz Fest, Return to Community: A Sunday Gospel Jazz Service, will be held Sunday, July 12, at Hendricks Chapel, featuring a special performance by the Winston-Salem State University Concert Choir and local ensembles.
Opening Night: Celebrating the Nation’s 250th Anniversary With the Airmen of Note
Syracuse University and the Syracuse International Jazz Fest are proud to co-present a special opening night on Thursday, July 9, at the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building (NVRC), 101 Waverly Ave., Syracuse. The United States Air Force Band’s Airmen of Note will take the stage at 6 p.m.
Presented in association with the University’s Office of Veteran and Military Affairs, the evening will feature an exclusive Upstate New York regional performance by the world-renowned USAF Airmen of Note, an 18-piece jazz ensemble, musically celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Admission is free with priority given to Syracuse-area veterans; claim your tickets. Free parking is available in the University Avenue Garage, located at 1101 East Adams St.
Student Ensemble Performance: Orange Juice
Among the festival’s featured performers is the Orange Juice jazz combo, a standout student ensemble of instrumental and vocal performers from the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ Setnor School of Music. They will perform at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 10, in the tasting room at Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards in LaFayette.
The ensemble performs regularly in concerts on campus and at community events throughout the year. This will be the ensemble’s fourth appearance at the Syracuse International Jazz Fest under the musical direction of John Coggiola, director of jazz and commercial music in the Setnor School.
Fusing Gospel and Jazz
Wrapping up the festival, Hendricks Chapel’s Return to Community: A Sunday Gospel Jazz Service program will offer a unique blend of spiritual inspiration and musical artistry. The event will begin at 3 p.m., with a pre-event outdoor community luncheon preceding the service. Both are free.
Hendricks Chapel invites the community to this uplifting experience that fuses and celebrates gospel and jazz music, highlighted by special guests the Winston-Salem State University Concert Choir, the Syracuse Community Choir, composed of Syracuse-area residents and the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble.
All Syracuse International Jazz Fest events are free and open to the public.
For the full schedule and artist lineup, visit syracusejazzfest.com.
