Education and Outreach
Telluride Jazz Festival and its programs represent music education of the highest order
World class Jazz musicians bring their talent, skills, and knowledge to our community, sharing them all on the Town Park Main Stage, "Society Stage" at Elks Park, Jazz After Dark historic venues, Telluride School District and other regional education institutions. Jazz music, as America’s unique art form, is at the heart of our programming, and we are always looking for new ways to reach and grow our audience with ticketed and free performances.
The Telluride Jazz Festival is supported by contributors and sponsors like Raynier Institute and Foundation, Dworbell Inc., The Telluride Foundation, The Telluride Council for Community Assistance, Arts and Special Events (CCAASE) that make the following programs happen.
Telluride Student All-Star Jazz Ensemble
flagship educational scholarship program
Dedicated Jazz students are invited to send audition recordings of their musical skills to program directors Prof. Bob Montgomery and Josh Quinlan. These esteemed jazz performance educators accept elite musicians to travel to Telluride the week preceding the festival to work on compositions and study music together.
“Society Stage” at Elks Park
Free and Open to the public
Music education is at the core of the Telluride Society For Jazz and prominently on display during the festival weekend. Up-and-coming Jazz music students bring their talent, skills, and knowledge to the Telluride community, sharing them all on the Society Stage at Elks Park. These intimate and interactive artist sessions will help promote the Telluride Society for Jazz's mission of student education and music outreach. Taking place in the heart of historic downtown Telluride in the grassy outdoor amphitheater at Elks Park, these performances give you a chance to interact with artists and music students, all while learning about jazz culture, history and methods.
Regional and National Student Performances
High School and College Bands and Ensembles are invited to participate in the Telluride Jazz Festival. This program offers students travel subsidies, food, lodging, general and backstage admission to the Town Park so they may have the opportunity to interact with jazz legends and experience the production side of the event.
ABOUT CALEB CHAPMAN’S SOUNDHOUSE
At the Telluride Jazz Festival, students from Caleb Chapman’s Soundhouse take their music skills to the next level with a team of world renowned music-educators. Over his 20+ years as a music educator, Chapman and his team have received a staggering amount of awards including 45 DownBeat Magazine Awards, 25 Best of State Medals in his home state of Utah and more. He has helped his students earn well-over $1,000,000 in scholarships and many have gone on to become professional musicians. More than just music, the Chapman’s Soundhouse program teaches students skills that are applicable to any career path they choose. We applaud Caleb’s efforts and look forward to hosting his student artists at the festival.