Annual Collin Jazz Festival Draws Noted Saxophonist

Jazz fans are invited to attend the annual Collin Jazz Festival, featuring world-renowned jazz saxophonist Melissa Aldana, Friday-Saturday, March 22-23, at the Plano Campus.

Concert admission is free and all events are open to the public, but tickets should be reserved through the college’s Ticketleap web portal.  

Established in 1993, the Collin Jazz Festival features performances by middle school and high school jazz bands from across the region and evening concerts featuring Collin College jazz students and faculty. Each participating ensemble will receive an onstage clinic with one of the festival's adjudicators immediately following their performance. Participating school ensembles will perform from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on March 22 in performance spaces across the Plano Campus. 

Evening concerts featuring Aldana are planned at 7 p.m. on March 22 and 23 in the John Anthony Theatre. Aldana will perform with the Collin Jazz Faculty Combo on March 22, after an opening performance by Collin Combo PM. Aldana will perform with the Collin Jazz Lab Band on March 23. Collin Jazztet will open that concert. She will also host a masterclass at 1 p.m. on March 23 in the theatre.

Grammy-nominated Aldana won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition at age 24, making her the first female instrumentalist ever to win the competition. She has performed with jazz luminaries such as Jimmy Heath and Wynton Marsalis, and at prestigious jazz festivals including Playboy Jazz, Monterey, Umbria, Marciac, Pori, and Molde. Her newest album is “12 Stars.”

Plano Campus is located at 2800 E. Spring Creek Parkway in Plano. Check Collin’s Ticketleap web portal for more information and updates. 

Collin College serves more than 58,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 200 degrees and certificates, including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity, a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Construction Management, and a new Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Clinical Operations Management. The only public college based in Collin County, Collin College is a partner to business, government, and industry, providing customized training and workforce development. For more information, visit www.collin.edu.