International Jazz Day 2025

Abu Dhabi to host the April 30th Global Concert at Etihad Arena. Tickets are free – first-come, first-served.

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2025 NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert

Celebrate the esteemed recipients of the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship and the A.B. Spellman Award for Jazz Advocacy.

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Peer-to-Peer Jazz Education Tours

Earlier this year, gifted student musicians presented weeklong tours in Alabama, Iowa and Nevad for public school peers.

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Watch the 2024 Dept. of Education Jazz Informance

Watch the April 2024 Informance at the Ed Dept. with Sean Jones and the Institute's Peer-to-Peer Quintet.

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Ambrose Akinmusire - New Artistic Director

Ambrose Akinmusire, 2007 graduate, named Artistic Director of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA.

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International Programs

Connecting communities around the world with America's indigenous art form.

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Jazz in the Classroom

We bring the greatest living jazz masters to students in public schools across America.

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BeBop to Hip-Hop

Watch the latest BeBop to Hip-Hop virtual concert, which featured original student-produced works.

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Hancock Institute News

College Program

The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA is a two-year tuition-free program accepting one ensemble of musicians for each class. All students receive full scholarships and stipends to cover their living expenses. Students study individually and as a small group, receiving mentoring, ensemble coaching, and lectures on the jazz tradition.
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International Jazz Day

International Jazz Day is the world's largest annual celebration of jazz. In November 2011, UNESCO officially designated April 30 as International Jazz Day in order to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe. Jazz Day is celebrated each year in more than 190 countries on all continents.
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Competition

Established in 1987, the International Competition is the most prestigious of its kind, recognized for discovering the next generation of jazz masters. The competition focuses on a different instrument each year and features an all-star judging panel. Winners receive significant scholarships to support college studies and private music lessons.
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Peer-to-Peer Program

Through the Institute’s Peer-to-Peer Jazz Education Tours, gifted student musicians from public performing arts high schools across the country present weeklong tours for their peers in other cities, performing and teaching alongside our master teaching artists.
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International Tours

Through regular tours sponsored by the U.S. State Department and other partners, the Institute builds bridges to other cultures and increases musical understanding through jazz education, performances and community engagement. Since 1989, the Institute's international programs have taken master jazz musicians to nearly 40 countries across 6 continents.
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Jazz In The Classroom

Jazz in the Classroom programs are tailored for elementary, middle, high school, and college students to help them develop an understanding of and appreciation for jazz music. The initiative strives to share the positive aspects of jazz with young people who would not otherwise have opportunities to learn about this great national treasure.
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