Building Philly's next generation of jazz musicians!

 Last year's virtual All-City Jazz Orchestra kept us grooving with Duke Ellington's "In A Mellow Tone," led by POPS Artistic Director for Jazz, Terell Stafford!

The 2021 All-City Jazz Festival will be virtual!

All-City Jazz is the high school program for ten PSD schools which culminates in the All City Jazz Festival, a full day of performance and educational activities each April in celebration of Jazz History Month. The educational component is vital to the development of student musicians and guarantees a flourishing future for jazz in Philadelphia. And, each year, students are selected by audition to play in the All-City Jazz Orchestra, an honor band comprised of students from around the School District of Philadelphia, which performs during the All-City Jazz Festival.

In 2015, All-City Jazz was the founding event for the POPS' POPS in Schools supplemental music education program, and began the POPS' engagement with renowned trumpeter Terell Stafford. Today, Terell is the POPS Artistic Director for Jazz and director of The Philly POPS Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia, as well as Director of Jazz Studies and Chair of Instrumental Studies at Temple University.

Each year, the all-day program features masterclasses from POPS musicians, including musicians from The Philly POPS Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia, and POPS guest artists.  

The 2021 All-City Jazz Festival will take place in April, as a virtual event. Leading up to the festival, the POPS will present virtual masterclass and lesson plan series from POPS and JOP musicians to help educate students on performance and musicianship. During the festival, student ensembles will perform virtually to showcase their achievements from this school year.