Fredonia boasts one of the longest histories of jazz music making of any college in the United States. Since the creation of the student-run Fredonia Jazz Workshop in 1934, jazz has been a part of student life at Fredonia through performance, and historical and theoretical study. With the launch of a new Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Studies, Fredonia now offers majors in this area many opportunities in large- and small-group performance, private study, and classroom instruction in jazz theory, history, and improvisation.
Award Winning
SUNY Fredonia's Jazz Flextet is the 2024 DownBeat Award Winner for Undergraduate Pop/Rock/Blues Group! It is the program's fourth Downbeat Award in the last six years!
The 2024 award comes on the heels of the ensemble winning consecutive Outstanding Performance Awards – in 2023 and 2022 – in the undergraduate division of the Large Jazz Ensemble and Rock/Pop/Blues Group categories, respectively.
The Fredonia Difference
At the heart of the jazz program are its flagship jazz ensembles, the Fredonia Jazz Orchestra and the DownBeat Award-winning Fredonia New Jazz Ensemble and Fredonia Jazz Flextet, as well as multiple small groups, including several instrumental jazz combos and the Fredonia Vocal Jazz Combo. These ensembles perform for the general public multiple times a year, and often provide opportunities for student vocalists and instrumentalists outside of the jazz area to participate as needed. Students pursuing degrees in other fields are welcome to join these ensembles. Participants are also encouraged to become involved in the student-run Fredonia Jazz Workshop, which operates the Fredonia Jazz Ensemble and several combos.
Career Opportunities for Jazz
- Touring musician
- Songwriter/composer/arranger
- Band leader
- Broadway performer
- Studio musician
- Jazz educator
