FRIDAY, MAY 3
SATURDAY, MAY 4
Middle School and Junior High Bands
High School Bands
2024 JAZZ FESTIVAL
42
The Bellevue High Jazz Festival has been going strong for 42 years. Featuring middle, junior, and high school bands from across the country, the Bellevue High Jazz Festival is one of the premiere festivals in the Pacific Northwest.
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Schools compete in divisions to be placed first, second, and third. At the end of the festival, only one band is awarded the coveted Sweepstakes Trophy, distinguishing that middle, junior, or high school band as the best of the best.
TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE
The Bellevue High Jazz Festival was born in 1982. Ronald Reagan was President of the United States. The Washington Huskies beat the Iowa Hawkeyes 28-0 in the Rose Bowl. And the Kennedy Center honored jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman with a lifetime achievement award.
That first festival was held in conjunction with “The Buddy Rich Show” and included a performance by the man many call the world’s greatest drummer. Rich and his band drew an audience of nearly 1,000 people that first year.
Now in our 42nd year of hosting the Bellevue High Jazz Festival, we are excited to see the amazing talent of young musicians. We hope to continue this tradition of excellence for years to come.
