Female musician playing a horn

ABERDEEN, S.D. – The 51st annual South Dakota Jazz Festival will take place on Thursday, Jan. 21, at Northern State University.

The festival will take place in the Johnson Fine Arts Center. Five local school groups will be performing and having jazz clinics with NSU fine arts faculty, following mask, distance and performance protocols:

  • 8:30 a.m.: Aberdeen Central High School Jazz II
  • 9:30 a.m.: Holgate Middle School Jazz Ensemble
  • 10:30 a.m.: Simmons Middle School Jazz Ensemble
  • 11:30 a.m.: Aberdeen Central High School High School Jazz I
  • 12:30-about 1 p.m.: Jazz Experience: Aberdeen Christian  

From 1:30 to 3 p.m., there will be a live Zoom presentation by Dr. Ron McCurdy, professor of jazz studies at the University of Southern California and author of The Artist Entrepreneur: Finding Success in a New Arts Economy. The presentation, titled “Entrepreneurship in the Arts,” is open to NSU students and faculty, as well as interested high schools.

The festival will culminate with a concert at 7:30 p.m. featuring the Aberdeen Central Jazz I group. Then, the NSU 2 O’Clock Band will finish the concert, featuring students in the band, with some special guests and alumni helping out!

All performances are free and open to the public. Due to COVID-19, admission is free to all 2020-21 School of Fine Arts events. Masks are required, and attendees are asked to follow appropriate social-distancing protocols.

For more information, please contact Dr. Grant Manhart at Grant.Manhart@northern.edu.

About Northern State University

Northern State University is a student-centered institution that provides an outstanding educational experience, preparing students through the liberal arts and professional education for their future endeavors. A regional university, Northern offers rigorous academics; diverse civic, social and cultural opportunities; and a commitment to building an inclusive environment for all points of view. Northern also offers a broad-based athletics program, sponsoring 15 NCAA Division II intercollegiate varsity sports that compete in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NSIC). The university strives to enrich the community through partnerships such as its Educational Impact Campaign, which opened a new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired; new athletic and recreation fields; and, soon, an on-campus regional sports complex. With the $55 million campaign, NSU has been the recipient of more than $120 million in privately funded building projects and scholarships within a decade. To learn more, visit NSU Admissions.