Enjoy extraordinary performances by jazz greats, new artists and inspiring students from our stages and stories from beyond.
Browse the jazz clips in our Digital Library of more than 3,000 videos.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
Army Blues Band
Fri. May 8, 2026
The U.S. Army Blues, part of the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” is the premier jazz ensemble of the US Army. This performance will feature the 2026 high school and collegiate winners of the Blues’ annual solo competition.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
Carolyn Hester
Thu. May 14, 2026
Carolyn Hester, whose luminous voice and trailblazing spirit helped define the American folk revival of the early 1960s, performs alongside her daughters Amy and Karla Blume.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
DCPS
Fri. May 22, 2026
Join us for two inspiring evenings on the Millennium Stage featuring the next generation of artists from Duke Ellington School of the Performing Arts. Celebrate the creativity, dedication, and artistry of these exceptional young performers.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
DCPS
Sat. May 23, 2026
Join us for two inspiring evenings on the Millennium Stage featuring the next generation of artists from Duke Ellington School of the Performing Arts. Celebrate the creativity, dedication, and artistry of these exceptional young performers.
Jazz singer Patti Austin performs Nat King Cole's "Just One of Those Things" during a Kennedy Center tribute to the superstar entertainer born "Nathaniel Adams Coles" 100 years ago.
Washington Performing Arts’ Mars Urban Arts Initiative presents José André Montaño and his trio, as part of a season-long series of events showcasing Latinx artists who live in Washington, D.C.
Join Jason Moran, the Kennedy Center’s Artistic Advisor for Jazz, in this podcast as he explains the basics of jazz music and how the art form works. Along with his band—Kimberly Thompson on drums; Casey Benjamin on saxophone, keytar, and vocoder; and Vicente Archer on bass—Jason will show you how jazz is more like skateboarding and football than you would think, play some original pieces, and play a few of the classic jazz standards.
Award-winning pianist, composer, and Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz Jason Moran is known for challenging "the same old thing" in jazz and confronting contemporary audiences' notions about the classic jazz trio.
Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz Jason Moran performs and participates in an in-depth exploration of the life and work of groundbreaking American ragtime and early jazz bandleader, arranger, and composer James Reese Europe as we celebrate his life and artistic contributions.
Performed on Sep. 18. Watch now!
Performed on Sep. 3. Watch now!
Performed July 30. Watch Now!
Millennium Stage
Couch Concert
Eaton DC Presents: Petworth Jazz featuring Imani-Grace, Luke Stewart and Pat Cain
Millennium Stage
Couch Concert
Baltimore’s Creative Alliance
Millennium Stage
Couch Concert
DC Legendary Musicians Mosche Snowden and Lady Mary
Millennium Stage
Couch Concert
Chicago: The Hideout + Old Town School of Folk Music- Jon Langford and Dill Costa Quartet
The Philadelphia Jazz Orchestra is an all star big band comprised of the best high school and college jazz musicians in the Philadelphia and New Jersey region.
A dynamic and exciting blend of South Indian raga, North Indian folk/classical and Latin rhythms, and jazz’s harmonic structure, the J.A.S.S. Quartet creates a distinctly evocative sound that maintains the Indian classical and jazz aesthetic, while pushing the boundaries of these traditions to create a refreshingly new sound.
From the archives of Kennedy Center Education, a masterclass with Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Kurt Elling.
From the archives of Kennedy Center Education, a jazz masterclass with composer, pianist, and educator Cyrus Chestnut.
The Jazz Ahead program identifies outstanding, emerging jazz artist-composers in their mid-teens to age twenty-five, and brings them together under the tutelage of experienced artist-instructors who coach and counsel them, helping to polish their performance, composing, and arranging skills.
Join jazz legend Dr. Billy Taylor, and his trio as they coach and perform with three young jazz musicians.
Join legendary jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor and his trio as he walks you through the musical world of Jazz on 52nd Street.
Join legendary jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor and his trio and special guest guitarist Mark Whitfield as they walks you through the musical history of the jazz guitar.
Join legendary jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor and his trio and special guest percussionists Candido Camero (congas) and Barnett Williams (timbales) as they explore the styles and instruments of Latin Jazz.
Unconventional musical ensemble The Turtle Island String Quartet presents an engaging program that explores non-traditional repertoire and musical styles you would not expect to hear from violin, viola, and cello.
Master drummer Bobby Sanabria and his band ¡Quarteto Aché take students on a musical journey to create the rich array of musical styles known as Latin music.
Join legendary jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor and his trio with special guest vocalist Nnenna Freelon as they explore jazz singing.
Host Dr. Nathan Davis presents an international ensemble of young and emerging jazz artists
Jazz Reach's She Said/She Says is a celebration of women's achievements and music in jazz from the early 20th century to the present day.
Janis Siegel of The Manhattan Transfer and Italian vocalist Roberta Gambarini pay tribute to the “First Lady of Song” in a program that includes some of Ella Fitzgerald’s best-loved jazz hits.
The Regina Carter Quintet presents a program that explores non-traditional repertoire, improvisation, and musical styles you would not expect to hear from a jazz ensemble.
Composer and trumpet player Terence Blanchard discusses the importance of practice, warm-up, and fundamentals, plus the value of learning the history of your instrument and genre, but retaining your own musical voice.
Legendary composers and jazz pianists Ramses Lewis ("The In Crowd"), Dave Brubeck ("Take Five"), and Dr. Billy Taylor ("I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free") discuss the legacy of jazz.
