Merging performance, dialogue, and pedagogy, the inaugural Next-Gen Jazz Festival aimed to break down barriers between performers and audiences.

This immersive artist-driven event experimented with participatory and interdisciplinary ways of presenting jazz. Most importantly, it was about creating a space for community and connection around emerging voices in jazz.

Activating the entire five-story Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, the festival featured a host of interactive components from an artist-led intergenerational masterclass to a scholarly panel discussion on jam session culture.

With performances by Ruby Laks, Nathaniel Coben, Jacob Smith, and Emmanuel Michael, this sold-out festival brought together a new community of artists and listeners to explore how jazz is being reimagined by the next generation.