The Earshot Jazz organization will be 30 years old soon. In the general scheme of 501(c)(3) non-profits in America, Earshot’s age and annual budget classify it as a “mid-sized” organization. Within our own community, we are alternately viewed as a Seattle cultural institution and a “spunky little non-profit.” That’s a great place to be. We’re here in support of jazz, which, as you can see by our upcoming festival schedule, is alternately viewed as a cultural treasure and a spunky little art form, presented in the finest concert halls and the most creative spaces.
For a relatively small non-profit arts organization, Earshot Jazz has a long history of producing a lot of work – sometimes more than can reasonably be expected – on a fairly limited budget. Our upcoming 25th-anniversary festival will be one of those times. We do this gladly, through an absolute dedication to our mission and to this jazz community, through the hard work of our small staff and volunteers, through the generosity of our donors and prudent use of our financial resources, and through many active collaborative engagements with other community institutions and organizations.
The Earshot festival engages Seattle audiences year after year with some of the most compelling creative music being made today. It also presents Seattle-area artists in the context of a world-class jazz festival and brings internationally known jazz artists into contact with area jazz education programs through workshops and guest-artist appearances on festival stages. We are grateful for the rewarding and long-lasting relationships we maintain with the Seattle Art Museum, Cornish College of the Arts, Tula’s Jazz Club, The Triple Door and Town Hall Seattle. We are also pleased to explore and enrich collaborations this year with institutions like the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, the University of Washington School of Music and the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute.
We are super grateful to all of our partners and supporters, and that means you! And we’re really excited to bring you the most fantastic jazz festival this city has ever seen.
Stay tuned for details, book early to avoid disappointment, and get involved!! We’ll see you out there!
John Gilbreath, Executive Director
