2026 Rochester International Jazz Festival Announces 16 More Artists

Marc Iacona and John Nugent, producers of the 23rd Edition Rochester International Jazz Festival in partnership with Rochester Regional Health, are pleased to announce 16 more artists who will join the 23 previously announced artists, playing in the Festival’s signature Club Pass Series.

Friday, June 19

• Jamile’s Brazilian Jazz Quartet, Inn on Broadway, 5:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.
• Honey Island Swamp Band, Montage, 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Saturday, June 20

• Jamile’s Brazilian Jazz Quartet, Max of Eastman Place, 6:15 p.m. and 10 p.m.
• Vicki Kristina Barcelona, Temple Theater, 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.
• Honey Island Swamp Band, The Duke, 7:45 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.

Monday, June 22

• Oddgeir Berg Trio, Montage, 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Tuesday, June 23

• Vitor Goncalves Brazilian Trio, Inn on Broadway, 5:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.
• Kathleen Parks, The Little Theater, 6:45 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Wednesday, June 24

• The Bad Plus, Kilbourn Hall, 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Willie Jones III feat. Eric Scott Reed, Max of Eastman Place, 6:15 p.m. and 10 p.m.
• The Coltrane Sutras, Montage, 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.
• Avishai Cohen: Big Vicious, Temple Theater, 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.

Thursday, June 25

• Trane of Thought (Pat LaBarbera and Kirk MacDonald), Inn on Broadway, 5:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.
• Willie Jones III feat. Eric Scott Reed, Montage, 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.
• Isaiah J. Thompson Trio, Max of Eastman Place, 6:15 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Friday, June 26

• Doreen Ketchens New Orleans Jazz Quartet, Temple Theater, 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.
• Isaiah J. Thompson (solo), Hatch Recital Hall, 5:45 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.
• Kyle Roussel Quintet, Kilbourn Hall, 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
• Orrin Evans Trio, Max of Eastman Place, 6:15 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Saturday, June 27

• Holly Cole, Kilbourn Hall, 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
• Doreen Ketchens New Orleans Jazz Quartet, Innovation Theater, 6:30 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.

The lineup announced to date including today's announcement: Alexa Tarantino Quartet, Allan Harris Quartet, Arturo Sandoval, Avishai Cohen: Big Vicious, Bill Frisell Trio featuring Thomas Morgan & Rudy Royston with special guest Gregory Tardy, Bob James Quartet, Catherine Russell, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Celebrating John Coltrane with Joe Lovano & Special Guests, Charles Pillow Octet featuring Amy Azzara, Chis Botti, Danilo Perez Trio, Davina and the Vagabonds, Delight Trio with Dawn Clement, Buster Williams and Matt Wilson, Djabe, Doreen Ketchens New Orleans Jazz Quartet, Harvey Mason’s Chameleon, Hiromi’s Sonicwonder, Holly Cole, Honey Island Swamp Band, Isaiah J. Thompson, Jamile’s Brazilian Jazz Quartet, Kathleen Parks, Kyle Roussel Quintet, Makoto Ozone and Tommy Smith, Mark Daniels and Friends Celebrate Composer Alec Wilder, Oddgeir Berg Trio, Orrin Evans Trio, Raul Midón, The Bad Plus, The Coltrane Sutras, The Empress, The Headhunters, The Rodriguez Brothers Celebrate Miles Davis’ 100th, The Soul Rebels, The Wolff Sisters, Trane of Thought (Pat LaBarbera and Kirk MacDonald), Vicki Kristina Barcelona, Vitor Goncalves Brazilian Trio, and Willie Jones III Feat. Eric Scott Reed.



The full festival lineup, including 50 more Club Pass artists, 100-plus free shows, and what is new, will be announced on March 10.

The nine-day Rochester International Jazz Festival, in partnership with Rochester Regional Health, returns for its 23rd edition June 19–27, 2026. The festival is presented in three major series: the Ticketed Headliner Series and the Club Pass Series, both presented by M&T Bank, and the Free Show Series.

About the Club Pass Series

The 2026 Club Pass Series will present 174 shows at 10 Club Pass venues with some of the finest jazz artists from around the world.Admission is available with a Club Pass or $30 cash at the door for all Club Pass venues except Kilbourn Hall, which is $35, and Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre Club Pass Shows, which are $40. Club Pass prices go up on March 10, 2026.

• Club Passes do not provide entry to ticketed headliner shows at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre.
• No advance tickets are sold for individual Club Pass shows.
• All sets are 60 minutes.
• Seating is general admission, no reserved seats, first-come, first-served. Shows fill up quickly, so arrive early. Doors open 30 minutes before shows. Club Pass holders enjoy early access to Kodak Hall Club Pass shows.
• All Club Passes are shareable and transferable. Only one person may use a Pass at a time.
• All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges.

Club Passes on Sale Now

The Club Pass is the Festival’s value pass, offering access to 18 to 20 shows a day, savings compared with individual admission prices, and the freedom to explore new artists and sounds. Club Passes are available exclusively at Rochesterjazz.com/tickets. As the Festival’s artistic director, John Nugent, says, “It’s not just who you know, it’s who you don’t know!”

About the Rochester International Jazz Festival

The Rochester International Jazz Festival, in partnership with Rochester Regional Health, is one of the world’s leading jazz festivals. Founded in 2002, the nine-day, multidimensional festival is held annually in downtown Rochester, New York, drawing more than 200,000 people to more than 285 shows across 18 venues. The festival spans the full spectrum of creative improvised music from around the world, presenting more than 1,750 legendary performers, familiar favorites and new discoveries.

The Rochester International Jazz Festival is produced by RIJF LLC, a privately held company owned by Marc Iacona and John Nugent. Nugent, producer and artistic director, is a noted tenor saxophonist who has toured internationally with artists including Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney, the Woody Herman Orchestra and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Iacona, producer and executive director, is a Rochester native and president of Simcona Electronics. A business and community leader, he is also an avid trumpeter and supporter of the arts.