There is news this week of a new jazz orchestra in the region! The Springfield Symphony Jazz Orchestra is forming in nearby Springfield, and will be run by the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. The band already has a Columbus connection, as its Artistic Director will be Springfield native, Vice President of Education at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra founder Todd Stoll! Two public concerts (see below) are scheduled for 2019-20, which will coincide with educational concerts for local students. Auditions will be held on August 14th and 15th in Springfield. Click here for information on auditions, and keep reading for more info from the orchestra.
The Springfield Symphony Jazz Orchestra (SSJO) is a professional jazz band that functions under the administration of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO). The SSJO will perform two concerts annually in the John Legend Theater. Additionally, the SSJO will perform educational concerts for the students of Springfield City Schools and surrounding Clark County districts on the days prior to each regularly-scheduled concert.
Springfield native Todd Stoll, who will serve as Artistic Director, brings deep community ties and professional influence to the organization. He is a North High School graduate, an alumnus of the Springfield Symphony Youth Orchestra, and now Vice President of Education at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City, the world’s largest institution dedicated to promoting and presenting jazz.
Mr. Stoll will choose members of the SSJO through open auditions, appointing members from across the region, all within the guidelines of Musicians Local 160. The SSJO will be integrated by race, gender, and age, prioritizing outreach and audience development to diverse communities.
Concert Dates
Big Band Royalty-the Count meets the Duke
Saturday, November 2, 2019
John Legend TheaterElla Fitzgerald-First Lady of Song
Saturday, May 23, 2020
John Legend Theater