Hello Educators, and Happy End-of-School year!

I loved seeing many of your students and groups perform and District and State music festivals this fall!  Last year’s jazzfest with the full 20-piece Mambo Orchestra was a blast and we hope to see you again this coming year.

The MSU Billings Jazz Festival will occur on Friday, February 6th, 2026, this coming school year.  There are NO registration or adjudication fees for this festival.  You can visit www.msubillings.edu/jazz to check out last year’s artists and even register for your placeholder next year at https://msubillings.edu/jazz/details.htm

We welcome all jazz bands, vocal ensembles, commercial ensembles, chamber groups, modern bands, jazz combos and whatever else you can think of!  We have always had awesome guests and clinicians, and our guest artist ensemble this year will be a traditional jazz group, straight out of New Orleans, the birthplace of this music!

Let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks, 

https://www.jotform.com/assign/93238168658167/251394842964064

John Roberts, Chair

Professor of Music

MSU Billings

406-657-2049

MSU Billings Music

2026 Montana All-State Jazz Band
Saturday & Sunday, March 14-15, 2026
Missoula, MT

Dear Montana Band Directors,

We are excited to announce the auditions for the 2026 Montana All-State Jazz Bands! We hope you will encourage all of your interested students to submit an audition recording this year.

Spring Date: The MT All-State Jazz event will take place in Missoula on March 14-15, directly following the UM Buddy DeFranco Jazz Festival. This will again be a phenomenal education experience for our young musicians by utilizing the world-class artists and educators from the festival.

Thanks to every past participant who took the time to submit feedback following the remarkable 2025 All-State Jazz weekend. We understand that several programs have potential conflicts on March 14-15, however, we determined that the spring date is overall our best option for Montana’s jazz students.

We are delighted to announce that Barb Catlin (CA) and Molly Redfield (CA) will be our guest conductors for the 2026 Montana All-State Jazz Bands. They are exceptional musicians, mentors and educators. Please check out their websites to learn more.

Upload each student audition online: open in December online

Audition recordings are due by 12 midnight on Friday, January 9, 2026. Materials are linked below.

Audition materials are the All-Northwest Jazz Auditions

Option for Small Schools (Class B & C): Audition Directions and Materials

A detailed itinerary along with costs will be posted shortly. If you have any questions at any time, please email mo*****************@***il.com.

Thank you for continuing to support and promote jazz education for your students in Montana. We wish you a rewarding summer!

Sincerely,

Cole Bass, Jesse Dochnahl, Cody Hollow, David Johnke, Sam McKenzie, Lewis Nelson, and Rob Tapper