Wichita, Kan. – Friends University is pleased to announce this year’s 28th annual Jazz Festival will take place Feb. 19th-27th. While the festival will look slightly different than in years past, it will also provide some exciting new events featuring impressive guest artists.
The festival will start on Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. with a Kick-Off Concert featuring the Faculty Jazz Ensemble, The Swingin’ Quakers Jazz Ensemble and local guest singer, pianist and songwriter, Rudy Love Jr. Limited in-person seating will be available to reserve at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jazz-fest-kick-off-concert-tickets-139717596091. Covid safety protocols can be found here.
The next seven days of Jazz Fest will take place virtually on Friends University Jazz’s Facebook and Instagram pages (@FriendsUJazz). Featured posts will include high school jazz band highlights and honoring this year’s Stand Out Jazz Competition winner. Two remote recordings will also be released this week featuring Conjunto Latino de Friends University playing with notable guest artists: Tito Carrillo and Miguel Zenon.
Tito Carillo will perform in a single with the Conjunto Latino de Friends University released on Feb. 25th. He is master trumpeter and a fixture in the Chicago jazz and Latin music scenes. Currently Carillo serves as Assistant Professor of Jazz Trumpet at the University of Illinois.
The single release on Feb. 26th will feature Miguel Zenón, a multiple Grammy nominee and internationally acclaimed saxophonist and composer. He is considered one of the most groundbreaking and influential saxophonists of his generation and represents proudly his Puerto Rican heritage. His awards speak for themselves with being selected Alto Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalist Association in 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
The closing event for Jazz Fest 2021 will be a free virtual performance on Feb. 27th 7:30 p.m.: Celebration of the Past, Present, and Future of Jazz and Art. It is a joint collaboration with The Kansas African American Museum (TKAAM) and Friends University’s Multicultural Engagement department showcasing the journey of the Black creative community. Limited stream tickets will be available https://www.eventbrite.com/e/celebration-of-the-past-present-and-future-of-jazz-and-art-tickets-139744853619.
All events are free of charge and open to the community. For more information on these events contact the Fine Arts Box Office at 316-295-5677 or visit friends.edu/finearts.
The 28th annual Jazz Fest was sponsored by KMUW, Wichita’s National Public Radio member station, and Friends University’s Office of Multicultural Engagement.
Friends University, a Christian University of Quaker heritage, equips students to honor God and serve others by integrating their intellectual, spiritual and professional lives.