The Rochester International Jazz Festival wrapped up on Saturday, June 27, featuring more than 300 performances over nine days and attracting approximately 211,000 people. On a backdrop of perfect weather, the final night of the festival ranged from traditional swing (Count Basie Orchestra) to New Orleans party music (Trombone Shorty). And the night ended on a note of discovery for me, which is apropos for a festival with an “it’s not who you know” ethos.

You can read more about it:
Closing Day of the 2026 Rochester International Jazz Festival

Greg Bell at JazzRochester also had a comprehensive roundup of the festival that examined some of its changes (including thoughts on the new Wegmans Pavilion, which I agree is a great new community space). And audio engineer Scott Fybush wrote an entertaining reflection on the festival's final night on Jazz90.1’s Facebook page. The three of us have been, in a sense, a small editorial team, filling in reflections on concerts the others couldn’t get to and adding to the discourse on the ones we collectively heard. It’s all to say that critical discourse is strengthened when more of us participate, which in turn strengthens our arts institutions, so I hope you will also find your own ways to participate in conversations about Rochester’s arts scene.

The United States celebrated 250 years as a nation this past weekend, and several local performances took place around the milestone, including the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra at the Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center (CMAC), complete with fireworks. I hope wherever you were, you took a moment to reflect on our nation’s history and the foundation of freedom and democracy upon which our nation was built. In observance of the anniversary, the musical community has already focused on American works since the start of 2026, but American music will continue as a thematic center through the summer and into the fall arts season.

If the end of the jazz festival has you missing roaming the downtown corridor, there’s more: The RPO performs a free concert on Friday evening (July 10, 6 p.m.–10 p.m.) at Parcel 5. It will be conducted by the up-and-coming pops conductor Evan Roider, who led an RPO pops concert in a Broadway program this past spring.

Rochester Overture is currently on a field trip to Tanglewood, the famed summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. I heard a BSO concert built around the towering and almost mythological figure Abraham Lincoln, the 16th U.S. president who abolished slavery. The concert included a long-anticipated premiere of a Philip Glass Symphony based on Lincoln texts, a suite comprising selections from John Williams’s score to Lincoln, and Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait, with actor Alec Baldwin narrating. And in a surprise discovery, the Lincoln texts in the Glass symphony were sung by baritone Zachary James, a winner of the 2009 Lotte Lenya Competition, held each year in Rochester by the Kurt Weill Foundation.

I also took in several thought-provoking visual and sonic experiences in a short diversion to MASS MoCA, and will participate in a sound meditation with sound bowls at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. An article detailing these sonic/creative experiences for those in Rochester looking for a culture-filled summer destination will be out soon after.

Before my report on my Berkshires trip comes out, with an overview of what’s on tap at Tanglewood for the rest of the summer, I do want to alert audiences that Eastman School of Music alumna, Beverly Sills Award winner, and Grammy-winning soprano Erin Morley will perform on the final movement of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony with the BSO and its music director, Andris Nelsons, this coming weekend, on July 11, at Tanglewood. She shares the program with pianist Emanuel Ax, who performs Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25. Because it’s coming up soon, I want to be sure those interested hear about it before I post something more formal about the Tanglewood season.

Excursions are fun, but I’ll soon be back in Rochester to cover the wealth of local and regional summer events that add to our glorious, if short, summers. (That is, when there’s not a heat dome oppressing our city.) That includes ChamberFest Canandaigua and the Skaneateles Festival, among other events throughout the summer. I hope you’ll keep reading, and I’ll send out updates on new articles as they drop.

Thanks again for reading!
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P.S. Many readers have kindly pledged funding for Rochester Overture on Substack. Thank you for believing in Rochester Overture’s mission! I know that Substack can be a convenient way to support community reporting efforts, and I will work on enabling it when I’m back from the Berkshires. It’s optional; I’m committed to keeping Rochester Overture accessible.

If you might be interested in a tax deduction for your donation, you can always donate through Rochester Overture’s Fractured Atlas fundraising page. To those who already donated at this publication’s earliest stages: your belief in this (and in me) fuels my writing and organizational efforts.

Your support, on any chosen platform, will allow me to bring on more contributors and continue building Rochester’s arts coverage year-round.

With much gratitude,

Anna Reguero
Founding Editor, Rochester Overture

We have one more night of the nine-day Rochester International Jazz Festival marathon. While I’m looking forward to a little more sleep, I’m also feeling saddened at the thought that the best week+ of the year in Rochester will be over so soon.

But here’s some reading to help you make the best of the evening. Your guide to tonight, plus reviews of last night’s performances:

• Jazz Festival Day 9 - Daily Festival Guide

And follow along for tonight at:

• Jazz Festival Live - Day 9

I’m pleased to say that Rochester Overture has received fiscal sponsorship from Fractured Atlas. If you believe in our mission to fill the coverage gap in Rochester’s arts community, you can make a tax-deductible donation to the cause. I’m so appreciative of your support of this important initiative.

And, more so, please read and share!

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Two more days left of the Rochester International Jazz Festival, and I’m starting to lose steam. That’s why I’m excited to hear artists like Kyle Roussel tonight, whose energy should pick me up and carry me into the final day of the festival.

Please do, however, excuse the later-than-usual newsletter. I was on WXXI Connections today to talk about the NYTimes Top 30 Living American Songwriters’ list, and it was a lively discussion with some local musicians, songwriters, and, of course, the fabulous WXXI host, Mona Seghatoleslami, who was prepared to take the conversation in any direction.

If you didn’t get to tune in, you can still watch it here.

Here’s your guide for tonight:

• Jazz Festival Day 8 - Festival Guide

And here’s where you can follow along for live updates for Day 8:

• Jazz Festival Live - June 26

  
  

I’m pleased to say that Rochester Overture has received fiscal sponsorship from Fractured Atlas. If you believe in our mission to fill the coverage gap in Rochester’s arts community, you can make a tax-deductible donation to the cause. I’m so appreciative of your support of this important initiative.

And, more so, please read and share!

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We’re two-thirds of the way through the festival. Grab some coffee and hang on for another three full nights of music.

There’s always more to hear than can be consumed, but I point out three not-to-miss shows for tonight at Rochester Overture, in addition to singing the praises of French-American vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, who stunned me with her vocal prowess at last night’s Kodak Hall concert.

• Jazz Festival Day 7 - Daily Festival Guide

Follow along as I post live from the festival tonight at:

• Jazz Festival Live - June 25

Additionally, you can catch Anna Reguero tomorrow on WXXI Connections with WXXI Music Director Mona Seghatoleslami. We will be chatting about the New York Times‘s The 30 Top Living American Songwriters list. (That should be a gift link.) It drew a lot of ire from the music industry and should make for a lively discussion. It will be livestreamed here. Grab your lunch and listen in!

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Featured Photo: Anna Reguero

I’m pleased to say that Rochester Overture has received fiscal sponsorship from Fractured Atlas. If you believe in our mission to fill the coverage gap in Rochester’s arts community, you can make a tax-deductible donation to the cause. I’m so appreciative of your support of this important initiative.

And, more so, please read and share!

My head is still recovering from the ping-pong machine that was Hiromi’s show last night. I made it to the late set, knowing that there wasn’t going to be much more I could take in after her show. You can read more about it, along with information about several great shows tonight. I’m personally going to the Bad Plus, since our festival is a stop on the band’s farewell tour. But it will require crafty maneuvers to hear all the other worthy shows tonight.

• Jazz Festival Day 6 - Daily Festival Guide

And while you’re at the festival, keep your eyes on tonight’s Jazz Festival Live page for on-the-street updates, along with updates on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

• Jazz Festival Live - June 24

Thanks for reading!

I’m pleased to say that Rochester Overture has received fiscal sponsorship from Fractured Atlas. If you believe in our mission to fill the coverage gap in Rochester’s arts community, you can make a tax-deductible donation to the cause. I’m so appreciative of your support of this important initiative.

And, more so, please read and share!

We’re nearly at the halfway mark of the festival, with four days down and five more to go. While I had a very specific itinerary for the first three nights, my Monday night was more exploratory. You can read more about shows heard and recommendations for tonight at Rochester Overture. Here are the places to go for all your Tuesday night needs:

Jazz Festival Day 5 - Daily Festival Guide

Before you head out tonight, read a profile I wrote previewing jazz piano phenom Hiromi’s performance tonight. She plays not one but two club pass shows at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. If you don’t have a club pass, it’s $40 at the door.

Jazz Jedi: Hiromi Brings Sonicwonder to Kodak Hall

And while you’re at the festival, keep your eyes on tonight’s Jazz Festival Live page for on-the-street updates, along with updates on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

Jazz Festival Live: June 23

I’m pleased to say that Rochester Overture has received fiscal sponsorship from Fractured Atlas. If you believe in our mission to fill the coverage gap in Rochester’s arts community, you can make a tax-deductible donation to the cause. I’m so appreciative of your support of this important initiative.


And, more so, please read and share!

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Saturday’s Rochester International Jazz Festival proved to be an unexpectedly strong night of shows and might end up as one of the most memorable ones of the festival for me for the high quality of music I heard. Some musicians were older masters, others were the next generation of greats, but all were class acts.

You can read reviews of those shows and read about where Rochester Overture is headed tonight:

Jazz Festival Day 3: Daily Festival Guide

And follow along tonight at:

Jazz Festival Live: June 21

I’m pleased to say that Rochester Overture has received fiscal sponsorship from Fractured Atlas. If you believe in our mission to fill the coverage gap in Rochester’s arts community, you can make a tax-deductible donation to the cause. I’m so appreciative of your support of this important initiative.


And, more so, please read and share!

After the early-afternoon rain, downtown Rochester was blanketed by golden sunlight. It was the perfect backdrop for the first day of the RIJF.

Here’s what to check out on Rochester Overture:

Rochester International Jazz Festival Day 2: Daily Festival Guide
Reviews and recommendations at this link.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Saxophonist Returns with a Roar and a Whisper
Jazz at Lincoln Center alto saxophonist and Eastman School of Music alumna Alexa Tarantino returns to the festival with her own quartet. I profiled her on Rochester Overture, so read about the show, and then get in line early for what will certainly be two packed sets at Kilbourn Hall.

Keep your eyes on Rochester Overture’s Jazz Festival Live: June 20 for quick concert reviews and news. Also, follow us on Facebook and Instagram for photos, videos, and more throughout the festival.

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Photo of Brandon Woody: Anna Reguero

I’m pleased to say that Rochester Overture has received fiscal sponsorship from Fractured Atlas. If you believe in our mission to fill the coverage gap in Rochester’s arts community, you can make a tax-deductible donation to the cause. I’m so appreciative of your support of this important initiative.


And, more so, please read and share!

Subscribe now

It’s finally here, the opening day of the Rochester International Jazz Festival’s 2026 edition! One fact obscured throughout much of the festival’s coverage is that the jazz festival in Rochester began 25 years ago. It’s not yet the 25th anniversary because the festival took a couple of years' break due to the Coronavirus pandemic. But it’s still an institution that has survived in our city for a quarter of a century, which is no small feat.

The jazz festival is now a major part of Rochester’s identity, and I’ve argued before that much of Rochester’s downtown revival is connected to the jazz festival’s growth. Starting today and for nine consecutive days, the downtown corridor gets an irresistible soundtrack.

I will be posting real-time updates throughout the festival on Rochester Overture, with on a special page that you can check back to throughout the night. Follow along at Jazz Festival Live: June 19 for opening night news and reviews.

You can also see all the nights of coverage in the Field Notes category on the site.

Please also follow along on social media, especially Facebook and Instagram, where I’ll be posting shorter updates, photos, and videos throughout the festival.

For profiles and recommendations, check out these articles on the site:

Jazz Festival Day 1: Daily Festival Guide - Read my recommendations for opening night, which includes a special concert celebrating the centennial year of John Coltrane.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Saxophonist Returns with a Roar and a Whisper - Read about Eastman School of Music alumna Alexa Tarantino, who is the first full-time female member of Jazz at Lincoln Center. An alto saxophonist and adept doubler on flute, she is featured with her own quartet tomorrow, Saturday, June 20, in Kilbourn Hall.

Jazz Jedi: Hiromi Brings Sonicwonder to Kodak Hall - Sonicwonder is the most appropriate name for Hiromi and her quartet, who have an updated take on jazz fusion and will perform on Tuesday night, June 23, in Kodak Hall. As I wrote in the article, when she plays, “you can expect a full sensory experience, from the splash of notes she throws down, to the bodily thrashing that overtakes her, to the bold clothes she wears, to her distinctive spiked-up hairdo.” She thinks of performances as something that engages all your senses. This show is my #1 pick of the festival.

Jazz Festival Live: June 19 - This is where you can follow for real-time updates tonight!

You can also expect extra newsletters in your inbox during the nine days of the Jazz Festival. But don’t fear: it’s only a temporary influx. I’m looking forward to seeing you all on Jazz Street this afternoon and comparing notes on shows!

I’m pleased to say that Rochester Overture has received fiscal sponsorship from Fractured Atlas. If you believe in our mission to fill the coverage gap in Rochester’s arts community, you can make a tax-deductible donation to the cause. I’m so appreciative of your support of this important initiative.

And, more so, please read and share!

It’s Not Who You Know: The Rochester International Jazz Festival’s Culture of Discovery

Other coverage:

CITY has a couple of great articles previewing jazz festival artists: one on guitarist Bill Frisell, who has graced our festival ten times prior to this year, by the wonderful Gary Craig, and another on Cécile McLorin Salvant by Justin Murphy.

I heard Cécile McLorin Salvant last summer at the Newport Jazz Festival, and I can say without hesitation that she’s worth the admission to hear. I was fortunate to photograph her there. She’s also collaborated with saxophonist Alexa Tarantino, who is performing at the festival on Saturday, June 20. You can read about Alexa in Rochester Overture next week.

Greg Bell is also working ahead, already posting his recommended concerts per night on his JazzRochester site.

Thank you for reading!
Anna Reguero, Editor and Founder of Rochester Overture

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