Message from Festival Director Dr. Brian Woodbury

Dear Jazz Band Directors,

I hope your school year is off to a great start! I’m excited to invite you and your students to the BYU Essentially Ellington Regional Jazz Festival on February 20, 2027.

This year’s festival has been moved to a new weekend, so it no longer conflicts with Valentine’s Day or Presidents’ Day. We’re thrilled to continue our alliance with Jazz at Lincoln Center, giving your students the opportunity to learn from some of the finest jazz musicians in the world.

Your festival experience will include:

• An adjudicated performance
• A 30-minute post-performance clinic with an Essentially Ellington clinician
• Written and recorded comments from all judges
• A recording of your performance
• A variety of clinics for students and directors
• Tickets to the evening concert featuring the world-renowned big band Synthesis, with guest soloists including world-renowned brass players Javier Nero and Josh Kauffman!

We hope you’ll plan to spend the entire day attending clinics, listening to other bands, and enjoying the evening concert. It’s sure to be an inspiring and educational experience for you and your students.

Visit our Clinicians page to learn about the 2027 special guests who will be joining us and explore the links and information on this website for all the details on how to participate.

I look forward to seeing you and hearing your groups perform!

With warmest wishes,
Dr. Brian Woodbury
Festival Director

Registration

Guest Artists Javier Nero & Josh Kauffman