The Lakeside Jazz Festival is one of the premier jazz education events for middle and high school students in the Southeastern United States. Held annually each April in Port Orange, Florida, the festival is dedicated to showcasing student achievement in jazz while supporting long-term partnerships among education, the arts, local communities, and public institutions.
Founded in 1998, the Lakeside Jazz Festival was established to support jazz education and to provide scholarship opportunities for student musicians. Over more than two decades, it has grown into a respected annual event featuring middle school, high school, collegiate, and professional jazz ensembles. The festival emphasizes high educational standards through formal adjudication, performance opportunities, and meaningful exposure to collegiate music programs.
Since 2022, David Martin has served as Executive Director of the Lakeside Jazz Festival.
Festival Structure and Participation
The 2026 Lakeside Jazz Festival includes:
- 73 student jazz ensembles
- 62 participating educational institutions
- All participating schools are located in Florida
Student ensembles participate in adjudicated performances during the daytime program. Each festival day concludes with performances by collegiate and professional invited ensembles, providing students with exposure to advanced ensemble performance beyond the adjudication process.
Click HERE for Performance Schedule
Invited Collegiate and Professional Ensembles
The 2026 invited ensemble lineup includes nationally recognized military bands and leading university jazz programs:
United States Air Force Band of the West – Dimensions in Blue
United States Marine Band
Spruce Creek High School 11 O’Clock Jazz Ensemble
Spruce Creek High School 12 O’Clock Jazz Ensemble
University of Central Florida Big Band II
University of Central Florida Flying Horse Big Band
University of North Florida Jazz Ensemble I
University of North Florida Jazz Ensemble II
University of North Florida Jazz Ensemble III
University of South Florida Jazz Ensemble I
These ensembles perform following daily adjudication sessions.
2026 Festival Adjudicators
The festival adjudication panel consists of experienced educators, performers, and jazz professionals from across Florida:
Clyde Connor – University of Florida
Jim Daniels
Marc Dickman – University of North Florida
Al Hager
Kevin Jones – Florida State University
Lisa Kelly – Kelly/Scott Jazztet, Jacksonville
Andy Kidd – Founder, Lakeside Jazz Festival
Dennis Marks – University of North Florida
Dr. Alexander Pershounin – University of Florida
James Scott – University of North Florida
Peter Waidelich – Daytona State College
Scott Wilson – University of Florida
Don Zentz – Douglas Anderson School of the Arts
Participating Schools – 2026
The following schools are represented at the 2026 Lakeside Jazz Festival:
Atlantic High School
Bayside High School
Brandon High School
Creekside High School
Creekside Middle School
Cypress Bay High School
David C. Hinson Middle School
Daytona State College
DeLand Middle School
Deltona High School
Deltona Middle School
East Ridge High School
Emerald Cove Middle School
Eustis High School
Eustis Middle School
Flagler Palm Coast High School
Fort Clarke Middle School
Fort Pierce Westwood
Freedom Crossing Middle School
Fruit Cove Middle School
Gaither High School
Galaxy Middle School
Holy Cross Lutheran Academy Upper School
Howard Middle School
Hudson High School
Ivy Hawn Charter School of the Arts
J.W. Mitchell High School
Lake Nona High School
Lake Weir High School
Landrum Middle School
Mainland High School
Merritt Island High School
Monarch High School
New Smyrna Beach High School
North Fort Myers High School
NSB Middle School
Olympic High School
Orange Park High School
Ormond Beach Middle School
Pacetti Bay Middle School
Pine Ridge High School
R.J. Murray Middle School
Richard C. Spoto High School
Rockledge High School
Santaluces Community High School
Seabreeze High School
Seminole High School
Silver Sands
South Fork High School
Spruce Creek High School
Switzerland Point Middle School
The Geneva School
Umatilla High School
Umatilla Middle School
University High School
Viera High School
West Boca Raton High School
West Port High School
Wharton High School
William T. Dwyer High School
Zephyrhills High School
Click
HERE for Volunteering Information
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