The 2026 NMU Jazz Festival will be held on the beautiful campus of Northern Michigan University on Thursday and Friday, March 19-20. High school and middle school jazz bands and combos in the region are invited to participate.

This year's festival will feature The Westerlies, a New York-based brass quartet comprised of Riley Mulherkar and Chloe Rowlands on trumpet, and Andy Clausen and Addison Maye-Saxon on trombone.  This cutting-edge ensemble is “an arty quartet…mixing ideas from jazz, new classical, and Appalachian folk” (New York Times). From Carnegie Hall to Coachella, The Westerlies navigate a wide array of venues and projects with the precision of a string quartet, the audacity of a rock band, and the charm of a family sing-along.

NMU Jazz Festival

Mar 20, 2026

2026 NMU Jazz Festival

NMU Jazz Festival