The Mason Jazz Festival is a yearly invitational, non-competitive event open to middle school, high school, collegiate, and community jazz ensembles. The next Mason Jazz Festival takes place on Saturday, February 15th, 2025, at George Mason University’s Fairfax, VA campus. All concerts and events are free and open to the public-- no tickets are required. Guests will also enjoy performances by select professional ensembles, the Mason Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Jim Carroll, and a major headlining performer to be announced. Join us for a full day of jazz music and community.
Location: Harris Theater, George Mason University, 4471 Aquia Creek Ln, Fairfax, VA 22030
Parking: Covered parking is available in the Mason Pond Parking Deck on Mason Pond Drive adjacent to the Center for the Arts. Free parking is available in Lot K throughout the day.
Getting Here: Across from the Mason Pond Parking Deck. Enter off Wilkins Plaza.
Information for Performers
Sponsored by Mason Jazz Studies and the Dewberry Family School of Music, participating groups will perform a 20 to 25-minute set in the Harris Theater and receive written feedback from adjudicators. Afterwards, each group will receive a clinic with Mason Jazz faculty in the de Laski Performing Arts Building. In addition to providing comments to bands, the adjudicators will offer select students Mason Jazz Camp scholarships and Outstanding Soloist/Performer awards. After the awards ceremony at approximately 5:30pm, a headlining performance will begin at 7pm to conclude the day.
Mason Jazz will provide all ensembles with a storage room, warm-up location with a piano and drum set, and full backline on the Harris Theatre stage. Equipment provided on-stage includes piano, keyboard and amp, guitar amp, bass amp, drum set and hardware (no cymbals), congas, and vibraphone.
The Johnson Center directly adjacent to the Performing Arts Building offers numerous choices for food and beverage.
Complete the registration form below to reserve a time slot. After completing this form, you will be sent additional links to submit the $250 festival fee and repertoire/soloist information.
The festival includes:
- Scholarships to the Mason Jazz Camp, summer 2025
- 3 “Outstanding Soloist” (cash prizes) and
- 4 “Best Section” certificates
- Live performance recordings for band directors
- Written feedback from adjudicators
2025 Adjudicators:
- Paul Bratcher - pianist, director of Jazz Studies at Georgetown University
- Jim Carroll – saxophonist with Woody Herman Orchestra, director of the Mason Jazz Ensemble
- Mark Williams – trombonist with the Count Basie Orchestra, director of Jazz Studies at University of Maryland
2025 Mason Jazz Faculty Clinicians:
- Xavier Perez, saxophone, U.S. Army Blues
- Graham Breedlove, trumpet, U.S. Army Blues
- Aaron Eckert, trombone, U.S. Army Blues
- Shawn Purcell – guitar, retired U.S. Navy Commodores
- Ben Thomas – bass, U.S.A.F. Airmen of Note
- Kevin McDonald – drums, U.S. Navy Commodores
In 2025, the Mason Jazz Festival headlining act will be the U.S. Army Blues. The U.S. Army Blues, part of the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” is the premier jazz ensemble of the US Army. After informal beginnings in 1970, this 19-piece ensemble became an official element of the Army Band in 1972. The Army Blues strive to fulfill their mission through public concerts, educational outreach, and the preservation of the tradition of America’s unique art form: jazz.
Mason Jazz Festival 2025 Schedule
- 10:00am Yorktown High School
- 10:30am Lake Braddock High School
- 11:00am Georgetown Day School
- 11:30am Meridian High School
- 12:00pm Intermission
- 1:00pm Warhill High School
- 1:30pm Washington-Liberty High School
- 2:00pm Alexandria City High School
- 2:30pm Mountain View High School
- 3:00pm Thomas Edison High School
- 3:30pm Alexandria City High School
- 4:00pm Musselman High School
- 4:30pm Chancellor High School
- 5:00pm Intermission
- 5:30pm Awards presentation
- 6:00pm Intermission
- 7:00pm Mason Jazz Ensemble
- 7:30pm The U.S. Army Blues
Previous Headlining performers included:
- U.S. Army Blues
- U.S. Navy Commodores
- U.S.A.F. Airmen of Note
- Mason Jazz Faculty All-Stars