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St. Olaf Jazz I, conducted by Associate Professor of Music Joseph L. Jefferson, will perform at the 2025 Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago, Illinois. Not only is this the first time St. Olaf Jazz will perform at the Midwest Clinic, it is the first time any St. Olaf ensemble has received this prestigious invitation. 

“This is a huge honor for all of our students performing in the Jazz Program at St. Olaf, and a testament to the work they’ve been putting in,” says Jefferson. “As the first ensemble from St. Olaf to perform at the Midwest Clinic, Jazz I has the chance to represent our college on one of the most respected stages in music education, and to showcase the depth and breadth of what we do as a program.”

St. Olaf Jazz I’s Midwest Clinic performance will take place on Thursday, December 18, at 10 a.m. Individuals interested in attending the performance must register for the conference.

The Midwest Clinic is the largest conference of its kind. With more than 18,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 40 countries, the conference offers engaging learning opportunities for high school students, college music majors, new and veteran teachers, music administrators, and others. 

“This is a huge honor for all of our students performing in the Jazz Program at St. Olaf, and a testament to the work they’ve been putting in. As the first ensemble from St. Olaf to perform at the Midwest Clinic, Jazz I has the chance to represent our college on one of the most respected stages in music education, and to showcase the depth and breadth of what we do as a program.”

— St. Olaf Jazz Conductor Joseph Jefferson

Along with the performance, students in Jazz I will also get to attend some of the more than 100 lectures, clinics, and additional performances throughout the three-day event. These opportunities cover specific instruments and sections, conducting and rehearsal techniques, administering a music program, strengthening strategies for music advocacy, and much more. Performances are presented by a variety of musical groups from around the world, including orchestras, concert bands, and jazz ensembles, and include standard and new repertoire. 

“The Midwest Clinic really is the largest instrumental music education conference in the world,” says Jefferson. “For the students in Jazz I, this will be an incredible opportunity to perform at a high level for one of their biggest audiences to date. They will also get the chance to learn from some of the leading professionals in the industry, and get a glimpse at what they can do when they graduate from St. Olaf.”

St. Olaf Jazz I’s selection to perform at the Midwest Clinic is a major milestone for the ensemble. The selection process to perform at Midwest is a competitive and thorough examination of an ensemble’s playing ability, programming, and versatility. Jefferson submitted recordings from the 2024-25 Jazz I performances, in only his second year leading the ensemble. 

The performance at the Midwest Clinic will be another opportunity for Jazz I to perform off campus. In recent years the ensemble has had the opportunity to perform locally, including at Crooners Supper Club, a premier jazz venue in the Twin Cities. Watch Jazz I perform I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart at Crooners in May of 2025 below.

Over the summer, Jefferson has taken great care in developing a dynamic program for the Midwest Clinic that will demonstrate Jazz I’s musicality, range, and talent. The 75-minute performance will highlight a wide-ranging repertoire and spotlight three exceptional guest artists: jazz trombonist Nick Finzer, jazz saxophonist Sharel Cassity, and St. Olaf Assistant Professor of Music Aileen Razey, who will take the stage to play clarinet in Duke Ellington’s extended work The Tattooed Bride.

“My hope is for this selection and performance to signify the direction we’re going with the jazz Program at St. Olaf, and the type of community we’re building,” says Jefferson. “The essence of jazz is inclusion — welcoming each person for who they are and valuing the unique ways they can contribute to the music and the community. The growth of our jazz community makes the musical experience at St. Olaf that much richer, and I’m excited for our students to see the importance of their work get recognized.” 

Jefferson is entering his third year teaching and leading the Jazz Program at St. Olaf, after being hired in 2023 as the college’s first tenure-track jazz conductor.

Previously, St. Olaf Jazz I was voted the “Best College or University Big Band” by Downbeat Magazine in 2011 and was awarded “Outstanding Performance by Large Undergraduate Jazz Ensemble” by the publication in 2019. In 2016 St. Olaf Jazz 1 toured Cuba, offering concerts in Havana and Matanzas — including collaborations with renowned jazz trumpeter Rodolfo Jorge Horta Hernandez, the Banda Provincial de la Ciudad de Matanzas, and Joaquin Betancourt and his La Joven Jazz Band. After the tour, Jazz 1 released its first vinyl recording, Cubano Be, Cubano Bop. 

In recent years, the St. Olaf Jazz ensembles have hosted and performed with a number jazz artists, including Sean Jones, Alison Crockett, Melissa Aldana, Fat Kid Wednesdays, Matt Wilson Quartet, David Berkman Quartet, Kenny Werner Trio, Armen Donelian Trio, David Sanchez, Dave Pietro, Luke Gillespie, Pat Harbison, Ray Vasquez, Dave Graf, Chris Bates Group, and Debbie Duncan, among others. This spring, St. Olaf will present its third annual Jazz Residency, featuring acclaimed pianist Willerm Delisfort. During his visit, Delisfort will lead masterclasses, rehearse with the ensembles, and join students in performance.