Jazz at Aspen-Snowmass (JAS)

Festivals and performances include the jas cafe series, june experience and labor day experience. The jas caf hosted 16 nights of performances over the winter and summer series, while the jas june experience took over downtown aspen with over 40 performances taking place in 12 different venues. The jas labor day experience attracted 29,775 attendees at the annual 3-day event. Along with performances, the cafs offer music education opportunities through listen up! Pre-show discussions where artists are interviewed about their musical backgrounds and experiences as well as offering "jas caf corner" blogs and program additions highlighting the history of Jazz.

Local education initiatives provided over $350,000 in support to local public middle and high schools, reaching 15 schools and over 1,500 students. These donations included over 2,000 hours of in-classroom assistance provided by professional musicians; private music lesson funding; over $40,000 in new and used instruments for school programs as well as individual students in need of the financial contribution; scholarship funds for graduating seniors, funding for music class field trips and much more.

The jas academy hosted 42 students from some of the top music schools across the county between two 2-week summer sessions. Students work with faculty from the frost school of music at the university of miami, as well as visiting professional Jazz musicians during the program which focuses on identifying and assisting the most talented student artists embracing Jazz fundamentally while exploring myriad related and unrelated forms of music at the highest quality. The academy is a full scholarship program supported annually by a multi-year gift from ed and sasha bass.