The 27th Annual Bellevue College Jazz Band Festival

General Schedule Information

BC’s Jazz Band, directed by Jim Sisko, will host the 27th annual Bellevue College Jazz Band Festival. There will be 40 Middle School, High School and College Jazz Bands and Combos participating over two days.

Schedule

Friday, Feb. 7, will be an all-day event for Middle Schools from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday will come to an end presenting the top three schools with special recognition in addition to a special presentation of 8 individual awards.

Saturday, Feb. 8, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the High Schools will compete.  At 5 p.m. the top three schools will be selected for the evening concert. The evening concert will start at 8 p.m. with the top three high schools performing followed by a performance by own BC Jazz Band with guest artist Michael Rodriguez.

Guest artist trumpeter Michael Rodriguez will be performing at a clinic on Friday & Saturday during the lunch hour as well as performing with the BC Jazz Band in the Saturday evening concert.

Award Announcement 

At the end of the Middle School and Junior High competition on Friday, three outstanding band awards will be presented as well as individual soloist awards. At the end of the day on Saturday, soloist awards will be announced, and three high school bands will be selected to perform in the evening concert. All high school bands, including those that perform on Friday are eligible to be selected as showcase bands on the Saturday evening concert.  Places are determined solely by the afternoon scoring.  The three showcase bands will lead off the Saturday evening concert, and the performance order will be determined by a random draw.

Traditionally, junior high and middle school bands have performed on Friday and high school bands have performed on Saturday.  If needed, we are happy to host a high school band on Friday if it helps with your travel arrangements.

QUESTIONS? – PLEASE E-MAIL:

Jim Sisko

jim.sisko@bellevuecollege.edu

Registration Information

Registration Deadline

Our 2025 Jazz Band Festival Registration is now open!

Payment

Payment may be made by credit card or check. An invoice will be sent after registration is complete.

Cost

• Jazz Band: $350.00 (includes 1 ticket each for Students and Directors for Saturday Evening Concert.)
• High School Combo: $70.00
• Additional Evening Tickets: $15 per ticket (Tickets may also be purchased soon through Brown Paper Tickets)

Click on the button below to start your registration.

Festival Highlights

1. FRIDAY: Middle/Jr High Schools – 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.: 20-minute performance, 35-minute clinic.
2. SATURDAY: High Schools – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.: 25-minute performance, 45-minute clinic.
3. High School Combo Division.
4. Live streaming of daytime performances.
5. Directors will receive a link to recording of their performance and judge’s comments.
6. State of the art sound reinforcement.
7. Masterclass and performance by Guest Artist.
8. Competitive or “Comment-Only” option.
9. Awards will be given at the end of the day and evening concert.
10. Awards will include outstanding bands and outstanding soloists.
11. Saturday Evening Concert is free to all participants.

Michael Rodriguez, Guest Artist

Grammy Award-winning trumpeter/composer Michael Rodriguez was born on July 14, 1979, in Queens, New York. Michael was inspired to pursue music as a career by his father, Roberto Rodriguez, who is a drummer. Michael studied at the New World school of the Arts in Miami, Florida, and continued his studies at the University of Miami. After completing two years at the University of Miami, he decided to transfer to the New School University in New York where he received his BA. Michael has performed and toured with Clark Terry, Bobby Watson, Quincy Jones, Joe Lovano, Toshiko Akiyoshi Orchestra, pop icon Jessica Simpson, Chico O’Farill Orchestra, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, Lincoln Center Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, Jon Faddis and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Carla Bley Band and Quintet, The Clayton Brothers, Kenny Barron’s Quintet, Conrad Herwig Latin Side Projects, Clayton Brothers Quintet, Harry Connick Jr., Bob Mintzer, Yosvany Terry Quintet, Eddie Palmieri Septet, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Smithsonian Jazz Orchestra, among others. In December of 2003, Michael recorded on Charlie Haden’s Grammy Award-winning album featuring Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Joe Lovano entitled Land of the Sun. Michael has also recorded on two of Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra’s albums entitled Not in Our Name and Time/Life. In 2019, Michael joined Chick Corea’s Spanish Heart Band and won a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album in 2020.

Michael and his brother, pianist Robert Rodriguez, have recorded four albums together: Introducing the Rodriguez Brothers, Conversations, Mood Swing, and Impromptu, which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album in 2015. In 2013, he released his debut album entitled Reverence for the Criss Cross Label and released his second album in May 2021, under the RodBrosMusic Label, entitled Pathways.

Michael is currently on the faculty at NYU Steinhardt and SFCM as an adjunct professor of trumpet and travels the globe as a clinician.

Middle School/Junior High School Bands Schedule

Live Stream Link Soon To Come

High School Bands Schedule

Live Stream Link Soon To Come