The 24th Annual Idyllwild Arts Jazz in the Pines outdoor music festival will be held Aug. 11-13 in the cool airs of the Idyllwild Arts Academy in the San Jacinto Mountains above Palm Springs.
The festival starts Aug. 11 with a VIP Patrons Dinner and continues throughout the weekend. This year’s event will offer something for every jazz, blues, and rhythm and blues lover, featuring continuous music on three stages performed by more than two dozen performers, including longtime favorites, as well as new faces.
Featured performers include clarinetist Evan Christopher, who was among the first graduates at Idyllwild Arts Academy; jazz guitarist Russell Malone, who has made his mark both as an accomplished soloist as well as performing on albums by Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, and Ron Carter, and saxophonist Charles McPherson, who has toured the U.S., Europe, Japan, Africa, and South America with his own band.
Marshall Hawkins, a legendary stand-up bass jazz musician, founded the Idyllwild Arts Academy Jazz Program. Hawkins, along with Lin Carlson and Barbara Wood, then went on to found the nationally-acclaimed Jazz in the Pines festival 24 years ago.
(Above, left) Russell Malone came out with an album in 2017 titled, HighNote. (Above right) Charles McPherson, a legendary saxophonist, has toured the world.
To kick off this special jazz weekend, there will be a Patrons Dinner and Dance in the French Quarter on the Idyllwild Arts campus beginning at 6 p.m. Aug. 11. Themed “A Tropical Evening in the Pines,” this patrons package includes the Patrons Dinner, two-day festival passes, VIP parking, reserved festival seating, and Seahawk MOJO Reception and Concert with preferred seating.
“Jazz in the Pines is part of the extraordinary tradition of artistic excellence that occurs on the 205 acres of our campus,” says Idyllwild Arts Foundation President and Head of School, Pamela Jordan. “In this tradition, Lin Carlson, Barbara Wood, and Marshall Hawkins founded the Jazz Festival in 1994 for three reasons: One, to preserve and promote this important musical genre; Two, to provide educational programming and access to the great musicians of our day; and Three, to provide scholarship support to talented and deserving students who otherwise could not attend the Academy or Summer Program.”
In 1946, Idyllwild Arts Foundation carved out its niche in the world and began fulfilling its mission, “Changing Lives Through the Transformative Power of Art.” Over 70 years later, Idyllwild Arts has become home to generations of global artists who have been inspired to make a difference in the world.
In addition to its nationally-acclaimed “Jazz in the Pines,” Idyllwild Arts offers two dynamic programs consisting of Idyllwild Arts Academy and Idyllwild Arts Summer Program. The Idyllwild Arts Academy is recognized as the country’s premier and internationally-acclaimed residential arts high school, providing pre-professional training in the arts and a comprehensive college preparatory curriculum to a diverse student body of gifted young artists.
Idyllwild Arts Academy’s 300 students come from more than 30 countries, pursuing artistic excellence in music, theatre, dance, visual arts, creative writing, film & digital media, and inter arts/fashion design.
The Idyllwild Arts Summer Program provides high caliber arts instruction and memorable arts immersion workshops to a diverse student population of all ages and abilities. Nearly 2,000 children, youth, adults, and families participate in this diverse summer program. The Summer Program provides intensive practical instruction in all the visual arts and performing arts including sculpture, painting, photography, ceramics, jewelry, Native American arts, film & digital media, fashion design, dance, music, theatre, and creative writing.
For more information, call Idyllwild Arts at 951-468-7210 or visit jazzinthepines.com.