The George Eastman Circle is excited to welcome the 22nd edition of the Rochester International Jazz Festival, returning Friday, June 20, and running through Saturday, June 28. The festival includes hundreds of shows at several venues in downtown Rochester, including concert spaces at the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music.
This year's lineup will feature numerous musicians from the Eastman community—current students, faculty, staff, and alumni—as well as students and faculty from the Eastman Community Music School (ECMS).
To read the full Eastman press release, please click the link here.
To learn more, view the full schedule of events and purchase tickets, visit the RIJF website.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FEATURING EASTMAN/ECMS
FRIDAY, JUNE 20
3:45 PM – Harley School Jazz Band directed by Mike Kaupa (ECMS Faculty)
Free | City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage
6:00 PM – Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra
Free | City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage
6:00 PM – Prime Time Brass*
Free | Rochester Regional Health Big Tent
*Includes Jonathan Kruger ‘82E (MM), ’84E (DMA), trumpet
7:00 & 9:00 PM – Dan Atkinson Septet*
Free | Wegmans Pavilion
*Includes current Eastman students: Dan Atkinson, Carter Bowman, Jacob Merrill, Wyatt Pepper, Daniel Zawel, Danica Rebudiao, and Coleman Breining
SATURDAY, JUNE 21
4:30 PM – Fairport HS Jazz Band directed by Bill Tiberio (ECMS Faculty)
Free | City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage
6:00 PM – ESM Jazz Honors Unit 1
Free | City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage
6:15 & 10:00 PM – Sullivan Fortner Trio*
Club Pass or $30/door | Max of Eastman Place
*Includes Tyrone Allen ’17E, bass
8:00 PM – Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra* with Wynton Marsalis
Headliner Series (SOLD OUT) | Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre
*Includes Alexa Tarantino ’14E, saxophone
SUNDAY, JUNE 22
6:00 PM – ECMS Jazz Combos Directed by Bob Sneider ’93 (Eastman/ECMS Faculty)
Free | City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage
6:00 PM – Herb Smith Freedom Trio (’91E)
Club Pass or $30/door | Montage Music Hall
7:30 PM – Bill Tiberio Band (ECMS Faculty)
Club Pass or $30/door | The Duke
9:30 PM – Herb Smith Freedom Trio (’91E)
Club Pass or $30/door | Montage Music Hall
9:45 PM – Bill Tiberio Band (ECMS Faculty)
Club Pass or $30/door | The Duke
10:30 PM – Bob Sneider Trio (’93, Eastman/ECMS Faculty)
Free | Jam Session | Hyatt Regency Rochester
MONDAY, JUNE 23
1:00 PM – Jazz Workshop w. Dawn Thomson, Vocal Jazz (Eastman/ECMS Faculty)
Free | Eastman School of Music Ray Wright Room
6:00 PM – ECMS Faculty w. Special Guest Vocalists*
Free | City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage
*The ECMS Faculty Trio comprises Bob Sneider ’93, Eugene Bisdikian ’17E, ’20E (MM), and Mike Melito. Featured vocalists are Emma Grace Wade and Harrison Candelario (Eastman Students), Amelia Nugent (ECMS Student), Crystal Sellers Battle (Eastman Faculty), Lauren Sageer (Eastman Staff), and Shaya Greathouse (ECMS Staff).
7:30 & 9:30 PM – RIJF-ESM Scholarship Concert feat. Ethan Hart ’29E
Free | City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage
7:30 & 9:45 PM – Spin Cycle*
Club Pass or $30/door | The Duke
*Includes Thomas Christensen ’84E, ’86E (MM), saxophone
10:30 PM – Bob Sneider Trio (’93, Eastman/ECMS Faculty)
Free | Jam Session | Hyatt Regency Rochester
TUESDAY, JUNE 24
12:00 PM – Simon Fletcher Trio (’07E)
Free | Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County
1:00 PM – Jazz Workshop w. Scott Mayo, Saxophone
Free | Eastman School of Music Ray Wright Room
5:45 & 7:45 PM – Timothy Ogunbiyi ’24E (DMA), Piano
Club Pass or $30/door | Hatch Recital Hall
6:00 PM – New Horizons Big Band directed by Priscilla Todd Brown (ECMS Faculty)
Free | City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage
6:45 & 9:00 PM – Greenhoe & Bilger Trio*
Club Pass or $30/door | The Little Theatre – Roots & Americana Series
*Includes Eli Greenhoe (studied composition at Eastman)
7:30 & 9:30 PM – Music Educators Big Band Bill Tiberio (ECMS Faculty)
Free | City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage
10:30 PM – Bob Sneider Trio (’93, Eastman/ECMS Faculty)
Free | Jam Session | Hyatt Regency Rochester
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25
1:00 PM – Jazz Workshop w. Herb Smith ’91E, Trumpet
Free | Eastman School of Music Ray Wright Room
5:30 & 7:45 PM – Dave Rivello Ensemble (’89E (MM), Eastman Faculty)
Club Pass or $30/door | Inn on Broadway
6:00 PM – New Horizons Jazz Ensemble directed by Don Sherman (ECMS Faculty)
Free | Rochester Regional Health Big Tent
6:00 PM – ESM Jazz Honors Unit 2
Free | City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage
7:30 & 9:30 PM – Rochester Metro Jazz Orchestra directed by Dave Rivello ’89E (MM) (Eastman Faculty)
Free | City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage
8:30 PM – Bad Sneakers*
Club Pass or $30/door | Rochester Regional Health Big Tent
*Includes Bill Tiberio (ECMS Faculty), Bill Straub ’93E, ’95E (MM), Eva L. Brieger Regan ’90E (MM)
10:30 PM – Bob Sneider Trio (’93, Eastman/ECMS Faculty)
Free | Jam Session | Hyatt Regency Rochester
THURSDAY, JUNE 26
1:00 PM – Jazz Workshop w. Paul Hofmann, Piano (ECMS Faculty)
Free | Eastman School of Music Ray Wright Room
12:00 PM – Mike Kaupa Quartet* (ECMS Faculty)
Free | Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County
*Includes Bob Sneider ’93, guitar, and Kyle Vock ’10E (MM), bass
5:30 & 7:45 PM – Rich Thompson Trio (Eastman Faculty)
Club Pass or $30/door | Inn on Broadway
6:00 PM – New Horizons Jazz Ensemble directed by Don Sherman (ECMS Faculty)
Free | City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage
10:30 PM – Bob Sneider Trio (’93, Eastman/ECMS Faculty)
Free | Jam Session | Hyatt Regency Rochester
FRIDAY, JUNE 27
12:00 PM — Quinn Lawrence ’04E
Free | Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County
1:00 PM – Jazz Workshop w. Jeff Campbell ’92E (MM), ’02E (DMA), Acoustic Bass (Eastman/ECMS Faculty)
Free | Eastman School of Music Ray Wright Room
6:00 PM – Mike Kaupa’s ECMS Ensembles & Junior Jazz
Free | City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage
7:00 & 9:00 PM – USP*
Free | Wegmans Pavilion
*Includes Dan Atkinson (Eastman Student), trombone
SATURDAY, JUNE 28
3:45 PM – MCC Jazz Ensemble*
Free | City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage
*Includes John Nyerges ’80E, ’97E (MM), piano
6:00 PM – ESM Jazz Honors Unit 3
Free | City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage
8:30 PM – Kneebody*
Club Pass or $30/door | Rochester Regional Health Big Tent
*Includes Adam Benjamin ’99E, keyboard; Shane Endsley ’97E, trumpet; and Ben Wendel ’99E, saxophone
| Date |
Jun 20 - 28, 2025 |
|---|