Jazz-Con 2025 Opens Scholarship Applications And Reveals Key Sessions For The Business-Minded Improviser

Jazz-Con, the 100 % virtual summit where streaming giants and indie artists share one bandstand, has opened submissions for five signature scholarships that remove financial barriers for musicians, students, and music-industry pros worldwide. Running September 15-16, Jazz-Con delivers live panels in English, Spanish, and Japanese with real-time captions in 10 + languages, making it the most accessible music-business conference on the jazz calendar.

“Jazz has never lacked creativity—only the resources to turn that creativity into a sustainable career,” says Jazz-Con Executive Director Jerald Miller “These scholarships honor our musical heroes while giving tomorrow’s innovators the business tools they need to thrive.”

Why These Sessions Matter

• The Real Business of Jazz

  Gail Boyd, Barney Fields, Lydia Liebman, and Ina Ditka unpack new views of the jazz business as it operates in current times.

• Liner Notes & Lost Credits

  Get your metadata right or kiss your royalties goodbye; Ken Dryden and Kyran de Keijzer show you how.

• Global Clave

  panish-speaking trailblazers map Latin American markets from Havana clubs to Madrid festivals, opening pathways few U.S. artists explore.

• Landing the Gig: Japan

  Japanese Jazz Musicians reveal insider secrets to living abroad and building opportunities in the Japanese market, and show why Japan remains one of jazz’s most lucrative territories.

• Playlisting Here, Playlisting There...

  Execs from Deezer, Pandora, FUGA and more reveal insider secrets, and strategies to get your music playlisted and have new audiences discover and enjoy your music world-wide.

• Sideman to CEO

  Artist-entrepreneurs share how to turn sideline work into valuable catalog assets.

Each scholarship covers a full or partial Jazz-Con pass, granting awardees on-demand access to every session, networking lounge, and the Jazz-Con Festival replay vault. The scholarship application is only available through the “PURCHASE" link at the bottom of this press release or via direct email request.

Five Signature Scholarships & Their Focus

• Milt & Mona Hinton Memorial Scholarship

  Need-based: lifts financial barriers for gigging musicians facing hardship, honoring the “Dean of Jazz Bass” and his philanthropic partner.

• Ellis & Dolores Marsalis Memorial Scholarship

  Merit-based: rewards exceptional college & university undergraduate music majors (under 24) committed to rigorous musicianship and education.

• Mercer & Lena Ellington Memorial Scholarship

  Career Support: fuels managers, agents, and music industry staff who power the jazz ecosystem but lack resources for professional development.

• Chico & Lupe O’Farrill Memorial Scholarship

  Global Equity: empowers Spanish-speaking artists and cultural workers from Latin America (outside U.S./Canada) to gain business tools and global visibility.

• JazzMetroplex Scholarship

  Texas Talent: hybrid merit/need award nurturing emerging Lone Star musicians, educators, and college/university students with access to Jazz-Con’s career-building curriculum.

About the Sponsors

JazzMetroplex

Texas-based nonprofit JazzMetroplex fuels equity and education through year-round workshops, concerts, and the flagship Jazz-Con event. Its programs bridge generations, ensuring tomorrow’s innovators inherit today’s business skills.

Nu Jazz Agency

Headquartered in New York, Nu Jazz Agency manages genre-bending artists and brokers global partnerships. Their strategic insight keeps Jazz-Con’s curriculum two steps ahead of industry change.

JazzPacific

Celebrating Asian musical heritage, JazzPacific shows how traditional sounds blend seamlessly with modern jazz expression. By connecting Asian artists with global stages, it turns jazz into a bridge for cultural exchange and artistic dreams.

All About Jazz

The world’s most widely read jazz publication delivers daily news, reviews, and interviews to a global audience, linking local scenes with international trends.

Arkadia Jazz

With a Grammy-nominated catalog spanning Benny Golson to Dave Liebman, Arkadia underscores Jazz-Con’s focus on catalog ownership and high-resolution audio.

HighNote / Savant Records

Barney Fields’ twin labels, home to Joey DeFrancesco and Sheila Jordan, inform Jazz-Con’s deep dive into sustainable recording models.

Applications close August 22, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. EST (U.S.) or once scholarship funds are exhausted. To request the application link, email [email protected]. Awards are limited and granted on a first-come, first-served basis, so early submission is strongly encouraged. Scholarships are confidential, non-transferable, and may be subject to local tax requirements. Additional terms and conditions apply. By applying for the scholarshi you agree to all terms applicants agree to all terms and conditions.