Clark College Hosts 62nd Annual Jazz Festival (Photo) - 01/21/26

Guest artists include Grammy-nominated vibraphonist Stefon Harris & Blackout, and 2025 Sweepstakes winner, Mountain View High School

VANCOUVER, Wash.— Clark College will host the 62^nd Annual Clark College Jazz Festival in three full days of big band jazz on Thursday through Saturday, Jan. 29 – 31, 2026, in the Gaiser Student Center at Clark’s main campus location, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA 98663. 

Sixty middle and high school jazz ensembles from throughout Washington and Oregon are scheduled to perform in this year’s competition. To kick off the festival, there will be a special ticketed fundraising concert, presented by the Clark College Foundation, featuring Stefon Harris & Blackout with the Clark College Jazz Band I opening the performance on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 7:30 p.m. Only 400 seats will be available—concert tickets are available here.

Special festival performances by the Clark College Jazz Band under the direction of Dr. Doug Harris:

• Jazz Band II – Thursday, Jan. 29, 4:45 pm
• Jazz Band I – Thursday, Jan. 29, 8:30 pm
• Jazz Band I – Friday, Jan. 30, 8:30 pm\
• Jazz Band I – Saturday, Jan. 31,12:00 pm

Jazz Festival Overview and Schedule – Complete Jazz Festival Schedule

• Special! Wednesday, Jan. 28, 7:30 pm: Ticketed fundraising concert with Stefon Harris & Blackout.  
• Thursday, Jan. 29: Middle school and Division A high schools
• Friday, Jan. 30: Divisions AA and AAA high schools
• Saturday, Jan. 31: Division AAAA high schools 

Trophies will be presented to the top three jazz ensembles for middle schools and division A through AAAA high schools. Individual outstanding musician and outstanding section awards will also be presented at the end of each division’s preliminary competitions. At the end of Saturday’s program, the Dale Beacock Memorial Sweepstakes Award will be presented to one outstanding band selected from the entire festival.

The 2025 Sweepstakes Band, Mountain View I High School Jazz Band, under the direction of Sam Ormson, will hold the spotlight on Saturday at 8:00 pm.

Event Details

Cost: Admission is $10 per day. Clark College students and children under 12, accompanied by an adult, will be admitted free of charge.

Location: Gaiser Student Center, Clark College main campus – 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA 98683

Parking: Green or Red lots—view online campus map and directions here.

Accommodations: If you need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event, please contact Clark College’s Human Resources Office. Phone: 360-992-2105 or email: hr@clark.edu

All are welcome. Clark College is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution. Learn more at www.clark.edu/nds.

About Guest Artist Stefon Harris & Blackout

Stefon Harris & Blackout, led by the visionary vibraphonist Stefon Harris, is a pioneering force in contemporary jazz. Harris has been named DownBeat Critics Poll Vibraphonist of the Year multiple times and has been heralded as “one of the most important young artists in jazz” (Los Angeles Times). The band, characterized by a stellar lineup of musicians, seamlessly blends funk, R&B, and global influences, transcending traditional jazz boundaries. With influential albums like Sonic Creed (named Jazz Album of the Year by WBGO – the world's #1 jazz station) and Urbanus (Grammy-nominated), Stefon Harris & Blackout showcase a dynamic interplay of intricate arrangements and soulful improvisation, solidifying their status as trailblazers in the modern jazz landscape. Their performances promise an electrifying fusion of tradition and innovation, leaving an indelible mark on audiences and further shaping the evolving narrative of jazz expression. Learn more at https://www.stefonharris.com/

About Clark’s Director of Bands, Dr. Doug Harris

Dr. Doug Harris is the Director of Bands at Clark College since Fall 2018, after serving as Assistant Director of Bands at Western Kentucky University, and Director of Bands at Santa Clara University and Southern Utah University. He also enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a high school band director in Florida. Dr. Harris received his Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Florida, his Master of Arts and Doctor of Arts from the University of Northern Colorado. Doug is active clinician and adjudicator in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Colorado, Utah, California and Washington, is a freelance trumpet player and has worked on the brass staff of the Madison Scouts, Sacramento Mandarins, Teal Sound and Suncoast Sound Drum and Bugle Corps. He is active as a composer, arranger and transcriber and is published in the Grand Mesa Music catalog. 

About the Annual Clark College Jazz Festival

The Clark College Jazz Festival, founded in 1962, has grown into one of the Northwest’s premier showcases for student musicians. Each year, the three-day event brings together more than 50 middle and high school jazz ensembles, over 1,200 student performers, and thousands of audience members. The Sweepstakes Award originated in 1963 to recognize the most outstanding band selected by the adjudicators from the entire festival. The winning ensemble remains that year's Sweepstakes Band until the next festival, when they pass the title and distinctive trophy to the next year's recipient. Learn more about the Clark College Jazz Festival.

Historical Background:

• 1962: The beginning: Hudson’s Bay High School band director, Don Cammack, organized a one-day high school stage band invitational, the Southwest Washington Jazz Festival, for schools from Clark and Skamania counties. 

• 1962-1969: The festival was organized by Vancouver and Evergreen public schools. Fort Vancou­ver High School and Evergreen High School took turns hosting. In the early days, trophies were made by middle school band director Jack Ager, who constructed musician figures from miscellaneous hardware and car parts.
   
• 1965: The festival grew to include bands from 8 high schools and 3 junior high schools. The program, called Jazz at the Fort, was directed by music educator, Dale Beacock.
   
• 1970: Dale Beacock, then band director at both Clark College and Fort Vancouver High School, held the invitational Clark Stage Band Contest for the first time at Clark College. This inaugural event hosted 17 high school jazz bands with preliminary competitions held in the Gaiser Hall dining area, with finals in the gymnasium. Beacock’s vision of a competitive jazz showcase for schools throughout Washington and greater Portland promoted the growth of the festival.
   
• 1971: The festival grew to 32 bands held over two days. 
   
• 1976: The number of participating bands grew to 52, welcoming bands from Oregon and Idaho.
   
• 1985: Chuck Ramsey became festival coordinator, a position he held for 22 years. He brought consistency to festival operations, increased student involvement, set the ground­work for the educational enhancement, leadership, teamwork, and a sense of ownership by Clark student volunteers. 
   
• 2008: Richard Inouye became festival director. His professional and educational experience brought a new dynamic by encouraging a focus on jazz education and using technology to promote community awareness, public support, and streamline festival operations. 
   
• 2012: The Clark College Jazz Festival celebrated its 50th anniversary. Highlights included the Clark College Alumni Band directed by Chuck Ramsey featuring Clark band alumni from three generations of Clark band directors. Beacock and Ramsey were presented Legacy Sweepstakes Awards for their historic contributions to the festival. 
   
• 2013: The festival went international, welcoming two bands from Tsawwassen, B.C.
   
• 2021-2022: The festival was on hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
   
• 2024: The 60^th Annual Clark College Jazz Festival welcomes 56 middle and high school jazz ensembles, more than 1,200 student musicians and more than 3,000 people during the three-day event. 
   
• 2026: Today, the Annual Clark College Jazz Festival welcomes 60 middle and high school jazz ensembles, over 1,200 student jazz musicians to the campus, and over 3,000 people to the Vancouver com­munity throughout the three-day event.

About Clark’s Music Program

Clark College Music program offers a dynamic curriculum in theory, performance, appreciation, and history. Designed for both music majors preparing for advanced study, and non-majors seeking a deeper cultural connection, the program blends academic rigor with hands-on performance opportunities. Faculty bring professional experience to guide students in building skills and confidence for future careers in the arts. Students can explore pursuits in concert band, jazz ensemble, orchestra, and choir. Learn more about Clark’s Music program.

For complete information about the Clark College Music Department concerts including the orchestra, concert band, jazz ensemble, and choirs, visit: http://www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/music/music-concerts.

For a full roster of Clark College music events, visit www.clark.edu/cc/music.

About Clark College 

Founded in 1933, Clark College is Southwest Washington’s largest public institution of higher education. Clark College provides residents of Southwest Washington with affordable, high-quality academic and technical education. This public community college offers more than 100 degree and certificate programs, including bachelor’s and associate degrees; professional certificates; high school diplomas and GED preparation; and non-credit community and continuing education. Clark serves almost 10,000 students including high school students, veterans, displaced workers, multilingual and mature learners. About three-quarters of its students are the first in their families to attend college.   

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