Skip to main content
University of Nebraska Omaha logo University of Nebraska Omaha
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY

University of Nebraska Omaha logo
College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media School of Music
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY
  • About Us Backback to Main menu
    • Director's Message
    • Mission and Vision
    • About the School of Music
    • Faculty Directory
    • Staff Directory
    • Parking Information | Strauss Performing Arts Center
    • Faculty Resources
    • Health and Wellness
    • Concerts & Events
    • Student Advisory Council
    • Student Safety
    • Submit a News Item
  • Concerts & Events
  • Undergraduate Programs Backback to Main menu
    • Prospective Students
    • Undergraduate Programs
    • How to Apply
    • Credit Hour Policies and Procedures
    • Studios & Areas of Study
    • CFAM Advising
    • Request Information
    • Undergraduate Student Handbook
  • Graduate Programs Backback to Main menu
    • Prospective Students
    • Graduate Programs
    • How to Apply
    • Studios & Areas of Study
    • Graduate Assistantships
    • CFAM Advising
    • Request Information
    • Graduate Student Handbook
  • Student Involvement Backback to Main menu
    • About Our Ensembles
    • Bands
    • Chamber Music
    • Choirs
    • UNO Jazz Ensembles
    • Opera Theatre
    • UNO Orchestras
  • Community Engagement Backback to Main menu
    • Community Engagement
    • Festivals & Camps
    • Music Major for a Day
    • BOCH Festival
    • Jazz Festival
    • Women's Jazz Composition Competition
    • Faculty Ensembles
    • International Touring Program
    • Nebraska Medical Orchestra
    • Sound Health; Bringing Music to Medicine
    • String Olympics
    • Student Recital Series
  • Support Us Backback to Main menu
    • Support the School of Music
    • Support CFAM

Jazz Festival

  1. UNO
  2. College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media
  3. School of Music
  4. Community Engagement
  5. Jazz Festival

  • Related Resources

  • UNO Jazz Ensembles
  • Festivals & Camps
  • Concert & Events

UNO's 52nd Annual Great Plains Jazz Festival Sponsored by Omaha Performing Arts and Nebraska Diamond with the support of the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment

Founded in 1973, the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Great Plains Jazz Festival is one of the premier educational jazz festivals in the nation.

Band Directors Click Here to Register for the Festival, and for Detailed Information.


The 2024 UNO/OPA Jazz Festival will take place at UNO on Friday, February 23 and at the Holland Center in downtown Omaha on Saturday, February 24.

Friday will include daytime professional performances and clinics.

The Friday evening headliner performance will feature the Metropolitan Area Youth Jazz Orchestra (MAYJO) and the Great Plains Great Big Band featuring professional guest artists and adjudicators.

--The Friday 8pm Concert is Sold Out--

Saturday will feature a clinic presented by Wycliffe Gordon and an evening performance by MAYJO and the UNO Jazz Ensemble featuring Wycliffe Gordon and other special guest artists.

--The Saturday 8pm Concert is Sold Out--


Contact petermadsen@unomaha.edu for more information.

Sponsored By:

nebraskadiamondlogo.jpg 1---omaha-performing-arts-logotype-black-100119-002c9cd1514ff23615095ddff00009b1489.png
nac-nce-logos---together-cymk-300-dpi-3-1.jpg noma-northomahamusicarts-blk.png
tmusic_logo1-58615-1.jpeg thumbnail_image.png
2020-dietze-logo.png


2024 Festival Guest Artists and Adjudicators

Wycliffe Gordon, Trombone – Yamaha Performing Artist and Jazz at Lincoln Center Alumnus

The Big Bad Bones - Summit Recording Artists

Great Plains Great Big Band - All-Star Big Band in Residence

Rick Hirsch, Saxophone – State College, PA Composer/Arranger and Founder of Hirsch Music

Jose Valentino, Saxophone/Flute/Bass - University of Florida

Dr. Lonnie Easter II, Saxophone - University of Oklahoma

Willie Murillo, Trumpet - L.A. Studio Musician

Bryan Davis, Trumpet – New York Freelancer and The 8-Bit Big Band

Quentin Volk, Trumpet - Minneapolis Freelancer and Executive Director of Eau Claire Jazz, Inc.

Andre Hayward, Trombone – Jazz at Lincoln Center Alumnus and San Francisco Conservatory

Brett Stamps, Trombone – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Professor Emeritus

Steve Wilson, Bass Trombone – University of Texas at El Paso

Check back regularly for a confirmed updated list of 2024 Adjudicators.

The Great Plains Jazz Festival features nationally renowned adjudicators, clinicians and guest artists. The festival is designed to be an educational experience for band directors and students from middle school through college. Ensembles perform for written and recorded comments and then proceed to a different room for a clinic from one of the adjudicators. In addition to the individualized clinic that each band receives, participants also have the opportunity to attend general clinic sessions presented by guest artists and adjudicators. The highlight of the festival is the opportunity to hear professional jazz concerts for free or greatly reduced prices.

Jazz artists that have recently appeared at the Great Plains Jazz Festival include Gordon Goodwin, Eric Marienthal, Brubeck Brothers, Bela Fleck, Doc Severinsen, Diane Schuur, the Jim Widner Big Band, the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Jim Pugh, Marvin Stamm, Hubert Laws, and the Blue Note 7 featuring Ravi Coltrane and Nicholas Payton.

Pictured Above: Bria Skonberg performs with UNO Jazz at the Holland Center.

Contact Us

  • Dr. Karen Fannin, Director, School of Music: kfannin@unomaha.edu

  • Adam Hilt, Coordinator of Outreach and Recruitment: ahilt@unomaha.edu

Related Resources

  • UNO Jazz Ensembles
  • Festivals & Camps
  • Concert & Events

College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media

  • Contact Us
  • College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media
  • 314 Weber Fine Arts Building
  • 6505 University Drive South
  • Omaha, NE 68182  map this location
  • 402.554.3857
  • cfam@unomaha.edu
Social media
  • College Resources
  • School of the Arts
  • School of Communication
  • School of Music
  • Writer's Workshop
  • Art Gallery
  • Speech Center
  • UNO Theatre
  • KVNO
Weber Fine Arts Building

Next Steps

  • Visit UNO
  • Request Information
  • Apply for Admission
  • The UNO Advantage
  • Our City (Omaha)

Just For You

  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Work at UNO
  • Faculty and Staff
  • A-Z List

Popular Services and Resources

  • my.unomaha.edu
  • Academic Calendar
  • Campus Buildings & Maps
  • Library
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Course Catalogs
  • Internships & Career Development
  • Bookstore
  • MavCARD Services
  • Military-Connected Resource Center
  • Speech Center
  • Writing Center
  • Human Resources
  • Center for Faculty Excellence

Affiliates

  • University of Nebraska System
  • NU Foundation
  • Buffett Early Childhood Institute
  • Daugherty Water for Food Institute
  • National Strategic Research Institute
  • Peter Kiewit Institute
  • Rural Prosperity Nebraska
  1. University Policies
  2. Privacy Statement
  3. Accessibility
  1. 402.554.2800

University of Nebraska Omaha
University of Nebraska Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE, 68182
  • © 2023  
  • Emergency Information Alert
  • MavsReport

Social Media


Omaha Skyline

Our Campus. Otherwise Known as Omaha.

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its education programs or activities, including admissions and employment. The University prohibits any form of retaliation taken against anyone for reporting discrimination, harassment, or retaliation for otherwise engaging in protected activity. Read the full statement.

scroll to top of page