SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, August 8 at 1:30 - 2:20 pm (Main Stage)

Telluride Jazz Festival’s flagship educational scholarship program is the Telluride Student All-Star Jazz Ensemble. Dedicated Jazz students are invited to send audition recordings of their musical skills to program directors Josh Quinlan and Annie Booth. These esteemed jazz performance educators accept elite musicians to travel to Telluride the week preceding the festival to work on compositions and study music together.

The Telluride Student All-Stars Jazz Ensemble perform around town the week leading up to the festival weekend, and are then rewarded with a festival opening performance on the Town Park Jazz Stage.

The purpose of the program is to inspire and guide young musicians who are poised to pursue their education in jazz and are at the level to begin their professional careers. The age range of students is generally between fifteen and twenty-one years. Education, room and board is provided free of charge upon acceptance to the program. The only cost to the students is transportation to and from Telluride.

In recent years, many former Telluride Student All-Stars students have ascended to professional music careers and return as featured acts on the Town Park Main Stage. The Telluride Student All-Stars Jazz Ensemble Scholarship Program is supported by individual contributions, grants, and the generous Dworbell, Inc. sponsorship.

AUDITION CRITERIA

2026 auditionS Are OPEN

All student applicants must submit video/s interpreting three jazz tunes of contrasting styles (e.g. medium swing, up tempo swing, ballad, jazz waltz, latín jazz). The videos are to be uploaded to YouTube (private links okay) and the applicant must provide the link/s in the application form. The video/s can be recorded with a group or with backing tracks. See below for specific instructions based on the instrument/voice you play.
- Horn Players & Vocalists: Play the Head (Vocalists - either w/ lyrics or wordless), Improvise (1-2 choruses, depending on length), Play the Head Out.
- Pianists/Guitarists/Vibraphonists: Play the Head, Improvise (1-2 choruses, depending on length), then Comp for 1 chorus
- Bassists: Play One Chorus of the Head (Melody), Improvise (1-2 choruses, depending on length), then Walk/Groove for 1 chorus
- Drummers: Play the Head (Melody) on the drum kit, Play time for 1 chorus, then Play a drum solo. *At least one of your videos should include you trading, going back and forth from solo to time (okay if your video is you doing this without other musicians)
Preference is given to student musicians between the ages of 16-20 with an age limit of 22 years.
Your audition must be received by Friday, May 15 at 11:59pm MDT in order to be considered.
The 2026 All Stars will be asked to arrive in Telluride on Monday, August 3 and stay until Sunday August 9, 2026. Education, room and board are provided by the festival.
Questions about the program or application? Email annie.booth@colorado.edu.