Blues Alley Youth Orchestra

The Blues Alley Youth Orchestra are the Washington' DC area's premiere jazz ambassadors and they are physically located here in our Nation's Capitol. The Orchestra is modeled and managed after and by its 40-year old and internationally-renowned nightclub namesake.

The Orchestra is comprised of accomplished student musicians ranging in age from 11-17 years old with their mission to preserve and promote the big band jazz genre. Now in its 20 th year the Orchestra has performed at such mainstay venues as The John F. Kennedy Center, The Smithsonian Institution, The National Theater, East Coast Jazz Festival, Carter Barron Amphitheater, Wolf Trap Farm Park, Blues Alley and elsewhere.

The Orchestra was founded in 1985 along with its parent Blues Alley Jazz Society and performs varied musical selections by such successful jazz composers as Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and others. The Orchestra typically contains a full accompaniment of brass, strings and percussion and attracts student musicians from Frederick to Fredericksburg. Students also take part in both civic and educational trainings as they perform in senior centers, at community functions and inside houses of worship.

Often performers traveling through Washington, DC have volunteered in workshops and master classes while performing simultaneously nighttimes at the club. Guest artists have included Quincy Jones, McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter, Terrence Blanchard and more. Auditions occur each year in the fall with a full rehearsal and performance schedule from September through May and from July through August. The school calendar includes weekly and monthly rehearsal and performance opportunities.

To learn more or participate or perform with this truly unique Washington musical experience please contact ExecutiveDirector@BluesAlley.org. Many musical opportunities may await you.