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WVU Jazz Festival & Mountaineer Honor Jazz Ensemble

April 24 – 25, 2026

WVU Jazz Festival

Beginning this year, we are excited to include Middle and High School Jazz Ensembles in our 2026 WVU Jazz Festival.

Middle and High School Jazz Ensembles can register to participate in the festival which will include performing in the Canady Creative Arts Center at WVU, receiving written feedback, a 30-minute post-performance clinic with an experienced jazz educator and performer, and being able to attend several instrument specific masterclasses, a WVU Faculty Jazz performance, and a night concert featuring the Mountaineer Honor Jazz Ensemble and WVU’s Jazz Ensemble 1 with featured jazz bass artist Paul Thompson.


WVU Jazz Festival Master Schedule

Friday, April 24, 2026

Time Event Location
8:30-10:50 am Mountaineer Honor Jazz Ensemble Rehearsal Falbo
11-11:50 am Mountaineer Honor Jazz Students Attend Masterclass with Guest Artist Falbo
1-1:45 pm Mountaineer Honor Jazz Students Attend WVU Jazz Ensemble 1 Rehearsal with Guest Artist Falbo
2-2:50 pm Mountaineer Honor Jazz Participants | Individual Instrument Masterclasses w/ WVU Faculty Various
3-4:50 pm Mountaineer Honor Jazz Ensemble Rehearsal Falbo
7:30 pm Night Concert featuring WVU Jazz Combos, WVU Funk & Soul Ensemble, WVU Jazz Ensemble 2 Falbo


Saturday, April 25, 2026

Time Event Location
9:00 am Large Jazz Ensemble #1 Performance
Small Jazz Ensemble #1 Performance 		Falbo
Davis
9:30 am Large Jazz Ensemble #2 Performance
Small Jazz Ensemble #2 Performance 		Falbo
Davis
10:00 am Large Jazz Ensemble #3 Performance
Small Jazz Ensemble #3 Performance 		Falbo
Davis
10-10:50 am Saxophone Masterclass
Brass Masterclass 		4129
2123
10:30 am Large Jazz Ensemble #4 Performance
Small Jazz Ensemble #4 Performance
Falbo
Davis
11:00 am Large Jazz Ensemble #5 Performance
Small Jazz Ensemble #5 Performance 		Falbo
Davis
11:30 am-12:45 pm Open Jam Session Lobby
1-1:50 pm Concert: WVU Jazz Faculty w/ Artist Paul Thompson Falbo
2-2:50 pm Rhythm Section Masterclass w/ Mark Micchelli (piano), Paul Thompson (bass), Brian Wolfe (drums) Falbo
3-3:50 pm Trumpet Masterclass
Saxophone Masterclass 		2123
4129
3:30 pm Large Jazz Ensemble #6 Performance
Small Jazz Ensemble #6 Performance 		Falbo
Davis
4:00 pm Large Jazz Ensemble #7 Performance
Small Jazz Ensemble #7 Performance 		Falbo
Davis
4-4:50 pm Trombone Masterclass 2123
4:30 pm Large Jazz Ensemble #8 Performance
Small Jazz Ensemble #8 Performance 		Falbo
Davis

Dinner Break
7:30 pm Night Concert featuring Mountaineer Honor Jazz Ensemble & WVU Jazz Ensemble 1 w/ Artist Paul Thompson Falbo


View a more detailed schedule here.

2026 Schedule



Cost to Participate

  • $150 if a school brings one ensemble to perform/participate at the festival

  • $250 if a school brings two ensembles to perform/participate at the festival. 

Register

To reserve a spot for your school to participate and perform in the festival, please fill out the following form below. 

Register for 2026

2026 Artist

Paul Thompson

Jazz Bassist

Paul Thompson has been playing bass professionally for over 30 years, including recording and touring stints with trumpeter Maynard Ferguson and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. Recent playing credits include Hubert Laws, Geri Allen, Micheal Feinstein, and Bob James, among others. Currently, he can be seen playing around the Pittsburgh area with Salsamba!, THOTH Trio, the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, in pit orchestras at the Byham and New Hazlett Theaters, or performing with some of our city's rich Jazz community.  Paul currently teaches Jazz Bass at West Virginia University and Duquesne University and is an Adjunct Instrumental Music teacher at his alma mater, Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 Performing Arts School.

Check out Paul’s popular YouTube channel pdbass and see clips of him playing and teaching below.

Mountaineer Honor Jazz Ensemble

As part of the WVU Jazz Festival, the Mountaineer Honor Jazz Ensemble offers a two‑day immersive experience for outstanding high school jazz musicians. Students are selected through a recorded audition.

Participants will rehearse and perform under the direction of Dr. Robert Sears (Assistant Professor of Trumpet & Jazz) and take part in masterclasses with artist Paul Thompson and WVU faculty Jeff Siegfried, Robert Sears, Hakeem Bilal, Keith Jackson, Mark Micchelli, and Brian Wolfe

The festival will also feature performances by Paul Thompson with the WVU Jazz Faculty and WVU Jazz Ensemble 1, WVU Jazz Ensemble 2, WVU jazz combos, and will culminate in a final performance by the Mountaineer Honor Jazz Ensemble.

Audition/Application Information

The audition deadline is Monday, March 30th. All high school students are encouraged and welcome to participate. Please record yourself playing the following and add a link to the video recording in the application form linked below

Apply, Register and Audition Music

Saxophone

  • Prepare the entire piece Rompin’ at the Reno by Benny Carter. You may choose either alto, tenor, or bari saxophone parts.

  • Optional but encouraged: Choose one to two jazz standards, play the melody and then improvise 1-2 choruses over the form of the tune.

Trumpet

  • Play a chromatic scale from lowest to highest comfortable notes.

  • Prepare m. 18 to the end of Romin’ at the Reno by Benny Carter. You may choose either trumpet 1 or 3. 

  • Optional but encouraged: Choose one to two jazz standards, play the melody and then improvise 1-2 choruses over the form of the tune.

Trombone

  • Play a chromatic scale from lowest to highest comfortable notes.

  • Prepare m. 23 to the end of Romin’ at the Reno by Benny Carter. You may choose either trombone 1, 2, or bass trombone.

  • Optional but encouraged: Choose one to two jazz standards, play the melody and then improvise 1-2 choruses over the form of the tune.

Piano/Guitar/Vibes

  • Prepare m. 93 to the end of Rompin’ at the Reno by Benny Carter.

  • Prepare m. 114 to the end of General Rodney by Chris Potter, arranged by Robert Sears. The style of this piece is medium swing and the tempo is quarter note equals 170 bpm.

  • Choose one to two jazz standards. Play the melody (1 chorus), comp (1 chorus) and then improvise 1-2 choruses over the form of the tune.

Bass

  • Prepare m. 93 to the end of Rompin’ at the Reno by Benny Carter.

  • Prepare m. 102 to the end of General Rodney by Chris Potter, arranged by Robert Sears. The style of this piece is medium swing and the tempo is quarter note equals 170 bpm.

  • Choose one to two jazz standards. Play the melody (1 chorus), walk a bass line (1 chorus) and then improvise 1-2 choruses over the form of the tune.

Drums

  • Prepare the entire piece Rompin’ at the Reno by Benny Carter. 

  • Demonstrate your understanding of the following grooves by alternating four bar phrases of time and filling in the following styles below. Play a total of 32 bars in each style.

    • Swing

    • Bossa Nova

    • Samba

  • Optional: Show your ability to play 12/8 Afro Cuban, Funk, and/or Cha Cha grooves.

Mountaineer Honor Jazz Schedule

View the complete schedule of the students selected to be part of the 2026 Mountaineer Honor Jazz Ensemble.

2026 Schedule

Cost

There is no cost to submit an audition. Students selected to participate in an Honor Jazz Ensemble will be required to pay $25 as a participation fee. Students will be notified via email how payment can be processed. The event is open to all high school students from around the country. Lodging and travel are the responsibility of the student. Some need-based financial assistance may be available.


WVU Jazz Festival 2027 

Not able to attend our 2026 Jazz Festival? Plan ahead for 2027 and reserve your spot today! The 2027 WVU Jazz Festival will be held on Friday, February 26th and Saturday, February 27th, 2027. Guest Artist TBA. 

2027 Festival Schedule Overview

View an overview of the 2027 Festival Schedule.

2027 Schedule


Registration for 2027 is Open!

To reserve a spot for your school to participate and perform in our 2027 Jazz Festival, please fill out the form below. 

Register for 2027


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