Regional Essentially Ellington Festival
In addition to the Competition & Festival in New York City each May, Essentially Ellington, Jazz at Lincoln Center co-produces non-competitive, education-focused festivals designed to offer high school jazz bands of all levels the opportunity to perform the music of Duke Ellington and other seminal big band composers and arrangers at various locations across the country. Jazz St. Louis is proud to partner with Jazz at Lincoln Center to bring its internationally-acclaimed Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Festival to St. Louis. This free, one-day festival features an all-star lineup of clinicians. In addition to performance and written comments, participating bands receive a workshop from one of the festival clinicians , instrument/section-specific master classes, and performance from the University of Missouri St. Louis Jazz Band featuring the festival clinicians.
In the spirit of Essentially Ellington, all bands will need to perform at least one tune from the EE library. Click HERE for a full list of free charts.
Looking to apply to the 2026 Regional Essentially Ellington Festival?
Date & Location
February 5, 2026 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Clinicians
Rodney Whitaker – Rodney Whitaker is an internationally renowned jazz bassist, educator, and Origin Records recording artist. He serves as Professor of Jazz Bass and Director of Jazz Studies at Michigan State University, where he has built one of the world’s leading jazz programs. A former member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis’ Septet, Whitaker has touredglobally and performed with many of jazz’s most legendary artists. He has appeared on over 100 recordings, earned an Emmy nomination, and is widely respected as one of the foremost jazz double bass performers and teachers in the United States.
Francisco Torres – Francisco Torres is an arranger, composer, and educator. He serves as the musical director for Poncho Sanchez and is a longtime member of Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, John Beasley’s Monkestra, and the Clare Fischer Big Band. Torres has appeared on multiple Grammy-winning recordings and has produced several Poncho Sanchez albums, earning numerous Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations. A highly sought-after sideman, he has performed and recorded with a wide range of legendary artists across jazz, Latin, pop, and film, while maintaining an active career as an educator, clinician, and commissioned composer.
Chad Eby – Chad Eby is a saxophonist, composer, arranger, and educator from Newhall, Iowa. He holds degrees from Luther College, the University of North Texas, and The Ohio State University, and has released several critically acclaimed albums, including Triptych, Broken Shadows, and The Sweet Shel Suite, praised by DownBeat magazine. A prolific arranger and composer, Eby has written over 125 arrangements and 50 original works performed by leading jazz artists and orchestras. Since 2006, he has taught in the Miles Davis Jazz Studies Program at UNC Greensboro, where he directs ensembles, teaches jazz studies, and was honored with the Outstanding Teaching Award.
Registration
This is a free festival and participation is limited to 10 bands. Scheduling will be done on a first come, first served basis. You can apply at the link above.
Registrations and questions can be directed to Travis Lewis, Education Manager, at [email protected].
Festival Schedule
Tentative
7:15–7:30 am Bands Arrive
8:00–11:00 am Band Performances
11:00 am–12:00 pm Lunch (on your own)
12:30–1:30 pm Masterclasses
2:00-4:30 pm Band Performances
4:30–6:00 pm Performance by the UMSL Jazz Band with
festival clinicians and presentation of awards