{"id":1230,"date":"2018-08-08T00:20:17","date_gmt":"2018-08-08T00:20:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nau.edu\/music\/?page_id=1230"},"modified":"2025-10-24T16:49:58","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T16:49:58","slug":"jazz-madrigal-festival","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/school-music\/performance-areas\/choral-studies\/jazz-madrigal-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Jazz Madrigal Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

2026 Jazz Madrigal Festival<\/strong><\/h1>\n

The annual Northern Arizona University Vocal Jazz Madrigal Festival, one of the largest festivals of its kind in the United States, features special guest clinicians and over 140 high school ensembles from Arizona and nearby states. The two-day festival includes a host concert in which choirs from NAU and professional groups of national and international stature appear.<\/p>\n

This event will be held in person on the NAU campus in Flagstaff from Thursday, February 5th – Saturday, February 7, 2026<\/span>. Ensembles of all ability levels are invited to participate in this rated, but non-competitive festival.<\/p>\n

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Guest Ensemble: New York Voices<\/em> (The Grand Finale)<\/h3>\n

For over three decades, New York Voices<\/a> has stood at the pinnacle of jazz vocal artistry, blending intricate harmonies, improvisational brilliance, and genre-spanning versatility over their ten acclaimed albums. Formed in 1987, the GRAMMY-winning quartet\u2014Kim Nazarian, Darmon Meader, Lauren Kinhan, <\/strong>and Peter Eldridge<\/strong>\u2014has enchanted audiences worldwide, collaborating with jazz legends like the Count Basie Orchestra, Paquito D’Rivera, and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band. Their performances, celebrated for both technical mastery and emotional depth, have graced iconic venues from Carnegie Hall to the North Sea Jazz Festival.<\/p>\n

In 2025-2026, New York Voices embarks on their much-anticipated final tour, \u201cThe Grand Finale,\u201d marking the end of an era in vocal jazz. This farewell journey is not just a series of concerts; it is a celebration of the group\u2019s enduring legacy and a heartfelt thank you to generations of fans. Audiences can expect a retrospective of their illustrious career, featuring jazz standards, big band classics, and more. As they take their final bows in cities across the globe, New York Voices\u2019 “Grand Finale” promises to be a poignant, unforgettable tribute to the art of vocal jazz and the indelible mark they leave on music history.<\/p>\n

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Registration & Cost<\/h3>\n

Registration is now closed, please email Dr. Ryan Holder<\/a> if you would like to be placed on the waitlist.<\/span><\/p>\n

$300.00 \u2013 for each jazz or madrigal ensemble.<\/p>\n

IMPORTANT – Registration is only online \u2013 we will no longer accept registration forms via email.<\/p>\n

Online registration will begin on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at 7:00 am and will remain open until Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at 7:00 am. All schools that register within this period will be included in a lottery, which will take place at 9:00 am on October 15th. Ensembles will be scheduled according to the lottery results and will be notified by October 17th.<\/p>\n

Initially, we will accept only TWO ensembles per director. Additional ensembles will be accepted only after all applicants have been allowed to schedule an ensemble. Available slots will be assigned to additional ensembles after the initial registration period. Please note that this will be strictly enforced due to the high demand for festival slots.<\/p>\n

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Festival Clinicians<\/h4>\n

We are pleased to announce the following Madrigal clinicians: Dr. Ryan Beeken<\/a> (Wichita State University), Dr. Jill Burleson Burgett<\/a> (University of Northern Colorado), and Zanaida Robles<\/a> (Conductor, Composer, Singer). Aimee Nolte<\/a> (Jazz Pianist, Vocalist, YouTube Creator) alongside members of the New York Voices<\/a> will serve as the Vocal Jazz clinicians, and Dr. Craig Peterson<\/a> (Mesa Community College, Canto Vivo Chorale & Sonoran Desert Chorale) will serve both as a Madrigal and Vocal Jazz clinician.<\/p>\n

Please note that we switch clinicians between the different sites.<\/p>\n

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\u00a02026 Jazz Madrigal Festival Schedule<\/a><\/h4>\n

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Host Concerts<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The\u00a0New York Voices<\/i>\u00a0and the\u00a0NAU Vox Astra\u00a0<\/i>and\u00a0Shrine of the Ages Choirs<\/i>\u00a0will present a host concert on Thursday, February 5th and Friday, February 6th at 7:30 pm.<\/p>\n

In addition, the NAU Vocal Jazz Ensembles Vox Astra<\/em> and High Altitude<\/em> will be presenting a free concert on Friday and Saturday from 12:00-1:10 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets for the evening concerts featuring the New York Voices<\/em> and the NAU Shrine of the Ages<\/em> Choir<\/em> will go on sale November 3rd at 7:00 am by email only. Ticket prices will be $20.00 for students and $30.00 for adults. Full payment (Credit Card, Check, or Confirmed PO) for the host concert tickets must be received by January 10, 2025, or your tickets may be released to the public. Please use this form to order your tickets. Phone orders are not possible.<\/p>\n

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Important Dates<\/strong><\/h4>\n