The Westchester Center for Jazz and Contemporary Music

The Westchester Center for Jazz and Contemporary Music is a non-profit organization that is committed to providing music education and performance opportunities for young people.

What is the Westchester Center for Jazz and Contemporary Music?

The Westchester Center for Jazz and Contemporary Music (WCJC) is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2006. The mission of the WCJC is to promote and celebrate the musical genre of jazz and contemporary music through educational programs, concerts, and events.

The WCJC is located in the heart of the Jazz District in the city of Westchester, and it is home to a state-of-the-art performance venue, the Westchester Theater. The WCJC also offers a variety of educational programs for both children and adults. These include the Junior Jazz program, which is a free after-school program for children ages 6-17, as well as workshops and master classes led by world-renowned jazz musicians.

The Center’s History

The Westchester Center for Jazz and Contemporary Music was founded in 2006 by ellington saxophonist Frank Foster. The goal of the organization is to provide quality jazz and contemporary music education to the residents of Westchester County, New York.

The center offers a variety of programs, including after-school classes, summer camps, private lessons, and workshops. The curriculum is designed to give students a well-rounded musical education, with an emphasis on performance and improvisation.

In addition to its educational programs, the center also presents concerts and special events throughout the year. These events showcase both local and international artists, and provide an opportunity for the community to come together and enjoy great music.

The Center’s Programs

The Westchester Center for Jazz and Contemporary Music at Mercy College is committed to providing high quality musical instruction and performance opportunities to students of all ages and abilities. The Center offers a wide range of programs, including music education, performance, composition, and theory.

The Center’s programs are designed to meet the needs of both aspiring professionals and recreational musicians. Professional level instruction is available for those who wish to pursue a career in music, while recreational level courses are also offered for those who simply enjoy playing music or wish to learn more about it.

The Center’s music education program provides students with the opportunity to learn from some of the world’s most talented musicians. The program offers both group and private instruction, and students have the opportunity to perform in a variety of ensembles.

The Center’s performance program provides students with the opportunity to perform in front of live audiences. Students in the program have performed at a variety of venues, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.

The Center’s composition program provides students with the opportunity to write their own music. Students in the program have had their compositions performed by a variety of ensembles, including the Westchester Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Center’s theory program provides students with the opportunity to study the history and structure of music. Students in the program have gone on to pursue careers as music educators, performers, and composers.

The Center’s Faculty

The Westchester Center for Jazz and Contemporary Music’s Faculty are made up of some of the most highly acclaimed musicians in the world. The Center’s jazz program is led by Grammy-winning bassist Christian McBride, who is also the Artistic Director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. Other jazz faculty members include pianist Jason Moran, saxophonist Mark Turner, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, and trombonist Wycliffe Gordon.

The Center’s contemporary music program is led by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang, and also features composer/performers Michael Gordon and Julia Wolfe. In addition to teaching private lessons, members of the faculty offer master classes and workshops open to the public.

The Center’s Students

The Westchester Center for Jazz and Contemporary Music offers students of all ages the opportunity to learn from, play with, and perform alongside some of the world’s most accomplished jazz and contemporary musicians. We offer a variety of ensembles and classes that cater to different skill levels, interests, and schedules.

Our students come from all over the New York metropolitan area, and we are proud to have been able to provide them with an environment in which they can grow creatively and musically. We are committed to helping our students develop their skills as performers and improvisers, and we hope that they will take what they have learned with them out into the world to make their own contributions to the jazz tradition.

The Center’s Alumni

Some of the most renowned and respected jazz and contemporary musicians have studied at The Westchester Center for Jazz and Contemporary Music. Our alumni have gone on to perform with some of the biggest names in music, as well as leading their own ensembles and recording their own albums. We are extremely proud of our alumni and their accomplishments, and we are always happy to welcome them back to The Westchester Center for Jazz and Contemporary Music.

A few of our notable alumni include:

-John Coltrane
-Miles Davis
-Wynton Marsalis
-Dizzy Gillespie
-Charlie Parker