New RIJF Innovation Jazz Series Kicks Off this Thursday

Rochester, N.Y.- The new RIJF Innovation Jazz Series, a seven-concert series presented by the Rochester Regional Health Rochester International Jazz Festival and M&T Bank, starts this Thursday, October 13, with New York Voices, the Final Tour.

The series will be held at The Theater at Innovation Square, 131 Chestnut Street in downtown Rochester, a popular Rochester International Jazz Festival venue, bringing the energy, artistry, and excitement of the annual June Festival to Rochester audiences year-round.

For nearly four decades, New York Voices - soprano Kim Nazarian, alto Lauren Kinhan, baritone Peter Eldridge, and tenor/saxophonist/music director Darmon Meader—have set the gold standard for jazz vocal ensembles. Founded in the mid-1980s at Upstate New York's Ithaca College, the quartet - dubbed "The Four and Only" by Paquito D’Rivera - seamlessly blends four distinctive soloists into an exquisitely unified sound, renowned for sophisticated arrangements, daring swing, and flawless vocal precision.

Tickets and Series Passes are on sale now at rochesterjazz.com/tickets. Series Passes for all seven concerts are $182.43, saving 40%, and individual show tickets are $47.63, including all fees.

The inaugural 2026–27 series will be held from October 15, 2026, through May 6, featuring seven acclaimed artists and ensembles: New York Voices (Farewell Tour), The Groover Quartet, CONNECTED featuring Richie Goods and Chien Chien Lu, John Pizzarelli Trio, Bria Skonberg, The Sergio Mendes Band, and Ulysses Owens Jr. and Generation Y.

Shows begin at 7:30 p.m., and doors open at 6:30 p.m. Drinks and snacks will be available for purchase in the lobby before each performance. Seating is reserved. All sets are 90 minutes.

After each concert, music will continue at 9 p.m. at Jam Sessions at Vanni's Jazz Lounge at the Inn on Broadway, the official hotel of the RIJF Innovation Jazz Series. No cover.

See full series information at https://rochesterjazz.com/innovation-jazz-series/