News and Events

Cincinnati Jazz Academy Orchestra Completes Historic Performances in Portugal

The Cincinnati Jazz Academy Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Isidore Rudnick completed an historic set of performances June 9th – 15th at the prestigious Lisbon International Youth Music Festival in Portugal. The orchestra was one of only 11 youth music ensembles from around the world extended an invitation to perform at this international festival.  This was the first time a high school jazz group from Ohio performed at the festival.

The Jazz Academy Orchestra, made up of 32 Cincinnati Public School students in grades 8th-12th, performed in open air UNESCO world heritage sites in Lisbon and Batalha, Portugal including the Ruínas do Carmo – Museu Arqueológico do Carmo and the Mosteiro da Batalha. 

The group received robust standing ovations at their performances.  Their final performance was at the Academia de Música de Lisboa with Portuguese students.  This performance represented the first time a student jazz performance and jam session occurred at the Lisbon Academy of Music.  The orchestra performed 90-minute programs of classic jazz standards made famous by such jazz greats as Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Stan Kenton. Most of the arrangements were written by Dr. Rudnick, specifically for the student members of the orchestra. 

During the performance tour, the group had an opportunity to visit historic landmarks, monuments, churches, and cultural centers in Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais, Batalha and Evora, Portugal.  Students described their time in Portugal as “life changing, incredibly inspiring and visually stunning”. The trip was made possible due to the generous support of local Cincinnati philanthropist, Albert Harris.