The 2026 St. Mary's University Summer Jazz Camp will be taking place Monday, June 15, through Saturday, June 20, 2026. Join us for a structured week of jazz combo rehearsals, instrumental masterclasses, jazz improvisation and theory workshops, guided listening sessions, daily performances by members of the St. Mary’s Jazz Faculty, and a final concert.

The Jazz Camp is open to middle school and high school students in grades 7-12. 

Jazz Combo Rehearsal: Students will meet as part of a jazz combo rehearsing music in preparation for an end-of-the-week performance. Students will be able to work with a high-quality member of the St. Mary’s Jazz Faculty in preparation for the concert.

Instrumental Master Classes: Each student (saxophone, trumpet, trombone, guitar, bass, drums) will meet together with their instrument-specific Jazz Faculty teacher to learn fundamentals specific to their instrument. The focus will be on advancing each student’s playing abilities in a jazz context.

Guided Listening/Improvisation/Jazz Theory: Students will explore the basics of learning how to listen to seminal recordings within the jazz tradition and learn to improvise in a small group jazz setting. For beginner, intermediate, and advanced students, these sessions center more specifically on learning and advancing fundamentals and techniques to enhance the student’s skills concerning jazz improvisation. Members of the Jazz Faculty will also supplement each of the students with jazz theory material (e.g., improvisation patterns, chord voicings, etc.).

For more information about the St. Mary’s University Summer Jazz Camp, contact Adrian Ruiz, D.M.A., Director of Jazz Studies, at aruiz22@stmarytx.edu.