celebrating 30 years of Jazz in the Pines Festival

On Saturday, July 13, 2024, Idyllwild Arts bid a heartfelt farewell to 30 years of Jazz In The Pines, a beloved festival that began with the vision of Barbara Wood, Lin Carlson, and Dr. Marshall Hawkins. The festival’s mission, rooted in supporting and empowering students through an inter-generational teaching-artist model, will continue as part of the Academy’s ongoing jazz education. However, the conclusion of this year’s event marked the end of an era for the festival itself. Dr. Hawkins, the driving force behind its legacy, fittingly declared, “Mission Accomplished!” as the final notes played.

The 2024 Jazz In The Pines Festival & Student Clinic celebrated this milestone with performances by faculty and students, memorable backstories, and tributes. This year’s festival was dedicated to the memory of legendary guitarist Bob Boss, and also honored Dr. Hawkins on the eve of his 85th birthday. Supported by generous sponsors, all proceeds from the festival will go toward scholarships for Academy and Summer Program students, ensuring that the spirit of Jazz In The Pines lives on in the education of future generations.

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Student Clinic Registration

Jazz thrives and grows when it is passed unselfishly from generation to generation. Come to the Idyllwild Summer Jazz Intensive and learn from a generation of greats. This two-week session is built around the return of Jazz In The Pines, giving students an exciting opportunity to learn from and see performances from Jazz greats in an intimate festival environment, a truly unique experience not offered at other camps.

Register for the Student Clinic: Ages 13-17

A Letter from President Pamela Jordan

Read the Letter

Jazz In The Pines supports and empowers the students of Idyllwild Arts through an inter-generational teaching-artist model anchored in the strategies of jazz music and the artistry of its greatest practitioners.

The new Jazz In The Pines is a state of mind. It’s an expression of shared wonder about the power of jazz not only to speak generation after generation, but to help one generation speak to another generation.

The trip up the mountain becomes more than a physical journey; it becomes a journey of awakening to a new way of being – a state of consciousness characterized by self-awareness, authentic connection, mutual respect, clear communication, personal mastery, common language and individual expression in service of a common ideal.

By bringing together artists of all ages, Jazz In The Pines now aligns with what Idyllwild Arts has done exceptionally well for nearly 75 years. By ensuring a continuing dialogue of artistic expression, younger generations are taught to embrace the universal language of the arts to change lives and connect with human kind.