2025 UARK Jazz Festival April 11-24

The U of A Department of Music and its Jazz Program are thrilled to announce the lineup for the 2025 U of A Jazz Festival. 

The festival will feature jazz ensembles from across Northwest Arkansas, including high school and middle school bands and ensembles from the U of A Jazz Program. Additionally, the festival will feature the 2025 Artist-in-Residence, saxophonist Steve Wilson. Wilson, one of the most distinguished contemporary jazz artists, will be featured in various roles, including performing with the U of A Jazz Orchestra, performing with UARK jazz faculty and teaching jazz workshops. 

Wilson's visit is made possible by the Moye Family Jazz Residency program and a partnership with the Northwest Arkansas Jazz Society. 

The 2025 UARK Jazz Festival will take place at multiple venues around the region. All events are free and open to the public. The full schedule is as follows: 

Friday, April 11 - Faulkner Performing Arts Center 
7:30 p.m. - VOICES Vocal Jazz Ensemble 
 
Tuesday, April 15 - Union Theater, Arkansas Union 
7:30 p.m. - UARK World Music Ensemble 
 
Wednesday, April 16 - Faulkner Performing Arts Center 
10-10:30 a.m. - Arkansas Arts Academy 
10:45-11:30 a.m. - Prairie Grove High School 
11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. - Har-Ber High School 
12-1 p.m. - U of A Jazz Orchestra (Arkansas Union Food Court) 
1:45-2:15 p.m.- Gravette High School 
3-4 p.m. - U of A Advanced Combo 
4:15-5:15 p.m. - U of A Intermediate Combo 
5:30-6 p.m. - Central Junior High School 
7:30-9 p.m. - Steve Wilson with the U of A Jazz Orchestra 
 
Thursday, April 17 - The Music Depot, Rogers 
7 p.m. - U of A Jazz faculty with Steve Wilson 
 
Friday, April 18 - Epley Band Building 
1 p.m. - Steve Wilson lecture "A Life in Jazz" 
1:30 p.m. - Steve Wilson masterclass 
5 p.m. - Saxophone workshop with Steve Wilson 
 
Saturday, April 19 - Walton Arts Center 
1 p.m. - Workshop with NWA Jazz All-Stars 
 
Saturday, April 19 - Thaden School, Bentonville 
7:30 p.m. - U of A Collage Concert featuring Steve Wilson, the NWACC All-Stars, U of A faculty and students 
 
Thursday, April 24 - Union Theater, Arkansas Union 
 7:30 p.m. - U of A Latin American Music Ensemble 
 
In addition to the UARK Jazz Festival, Wilson will also be the artist-in-residence for the Northwest Arkansas Jazz All-Star Program, a unique program for high school students created and presented by NAJS. 

Now in its ninth season, the Northwest Arkansas Jazz All-Star program brings together young aspiring musicians from 14 regional high schools to study, rehearse and perform jazz big band repertoire over three months. 

A guest jazz luminary is brought in each year to rehearse and perform with the students at their final concert. This year's final concert featuring Wilson will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 28, in Starr Theater at the Walton Arts Center. 

For more information about the festival or U of A's Jazz Program, contact Jake Hertzog, jazz area coordinator, at jhertzog@uark.edu. 

About the UARK Jazz Festival: The UARK Jazz Festival is hosted by the University of Arkansas Department of Music and the Arkansas Center for Black Music, both part of University of Arkansas Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. The festival annually features hundreds of performers, both students and professionals. Each year the festival features a major jazz artist; recent visiting artists have included Dave Liebman, Papo Vasquez, and Michael Wolff.