Alcorn State University will host the 44th Annual ASU Jazz Festival Thursday, April 23 and Saturday, April 25, 2026, with events spanning the university’s Lorman campus and the Vicksburg Convention Center in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
All events are free and open to the public.
The festival is one of the longest-running jazz festivals in Mississippi. It draws high school, community college, and university ensembles together for a full day of competitive performances, adjudication, and live music from world renowned artists.
“We look forward to welcoming you in Vicksburg for the 44th Annual ASU Jazz Festival,” said Dr. Ryan Stransky, 44th ASU Jazz Festival director. “This year will feature guest artist Kortland Whalum, a Memphis-based singer-songwriter who will deliver an energetic and powerful performance. Join us for a full day of high school and collegiate jazz bands.”
This year’s headliner is Kortland Whalum, a Memphis-based singer, songwriter, and actor whose credits span Broadway, Off-Broadway, and international touring with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
The festival kicks off Thursday, April 23, with a 1 p.m. performance by the Mississippi National Guard 41st Army Band at Bolden Fine Arts — Little Theater on the Alcorn State campus in Lorman. The main festival day follows Saturday, April 25, at the Vicksburg Convention Center, with doors opening to the public at 11 a.m.
The full festival schedule runs from 11 a.m. to about 9 p.m. Ensemble performances begin at 11:15 a.m. An awards ceremony follows at 6 p.m., with Whalum’s headline set beginning at 7 p.m.
Six ensembles are scheduled to perform, representing institutions from Mississippi and Louisiana — Murrah High School FM 1400 Jazz Ensemble, Jackson, Miss.; Cleveland Central High School Jazz Ensemble, Covington High School Jazz Ensemble, Covington, La.; Hinds Community College Jazz Ensemble, Miles College Jazz Ensemble, and the Alcorn State University Jazz Ensemble.
“The ASU Jazz Festival is a tradition of excellence in music, jazz, and education,” Stransky said. “We join together with high school, community college, and university ensembles to showcase the talent and musicianship represented across the nation.”
Whalum is a graduate of Memphis’ Overton High School for the Performing Arts and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Morehouse College. He spent six years in New York City performing in Off-Broadway productions before returning to Memphis, where he served as Vocal Director at the Stax Music Academy and facilitated the 50th Anniversary Stax/Volt Tour across the United Kingdom and France. His theater credits include “Hello, Dolly!,” “Porgy & Bess,” “The Wiz,” “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” and “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,”among others. The Tennessee State Senate has honored him for his artistic contributions and cultural impact.
Whalum will be accompanied by a band of accomplished Memphis area musicians, including guitarist JB Brownlee, keyboardist and producer Terrence Brown, and bassist Henry Conerway III, a Detroit native who has performed at the Kennedy Center, the Toronto Jazz Festival, and Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.
The ASU Jazz Festival has grown over four decades under the leadership of the Department of Fine Arts.
Dr. Russell Thomas Jr. founded the festival and also directed the Jazz Ensemble. Dr. David Miller, the longest-tenured festival director, built upon that foundation during his years leading both the festival and the ensemble. Dr. Sean Daniels later carried the tradition forward before the baton passed to Dr. Stransky.
The festival’s alumni stage reads like a who’s who of American jazz — Chick Corea, Branford Marsalis, McCoy Tyner, Max Roach, Ramsey Lewis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Arturo Sandoval are among the legends who have performed in Vicksburg over the festival’s 44-year run. The 2025 festival featured the Louis Hayes Quintet.
The event is sponsored by River Hills Bank, ASU Foundation, Inc., JXN Metro Music, Alcorn State Southwest Mississippi Center for Culture and Learning, Alcorn State Division of Marketing and Communication, and the Alcorn State Division of Student Affairs.
For more information about the ASU Jazz Festival, contact the Department of Fine Arts at 601.877.6271 or to become a sponsor, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 601.877.6296.
