The Jazzschool provides music education and performance opportunities for people of all ages and levels of ability. Consisting of the Jazzschool Adult Music Program and the Jazzschool Young Musicians Program, the Jazzschool operates year-round on a quarterly basis and offers an array of courses, ensembles, performance opportunities, and workshops to build all aspects of musicianship. Students are frequently featured in concert performances, free to the public. With a formidable faculty of renowned musicians and educators, the Jazzschool is a cornerstone of the Bay Area’s thriving music scene.
The California Jazz Conservatory begins the 2020–2021 academic year with an exciting new development: the addition of a Master of Music in Jazz Studies degree, designed for the twenty-first century jazz composer- arranger. Set to launch in fall 2021, this new program is one of few in the country with this particular dual emphasis.
The California Jazz Conservatory’s vision is to admit the musician and graduate the artist. As an aspiring artist, you will have the opportunity to study and play with a faculty of artists and academicians who value and support your own unique artistic perspective. These seasoned artists-educators have a proven track record of transforming students into the artists they aspire to become.
The California Jazz Conservatory is gaining nationwide recognition as a destination for jazz education and performance, and our alumni are playing an exciting role in this distinction. Since 2012, the Conservatory has graduated seven classes of students who exemplify our program’s signal in a musician, out an artist vision. Our graduates’ notable accomplishments as artists, educators and/or arts administrators manifest the far- reaching effects of our various degree programs
The California Jazz Conservatory campus is nestled in the heart of the vibrant Downtown Berkeley Arts District, within walking distance of a number of the Bay Area’s preeminent arts organizations, including the UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, Cal Performances, the Freight and Salvage, and the Berkeley Repertory and Aurora Theatres.
CJC students have easy access to affordable public transportation. Buses and BART are within half a block, connecting students to the Bay Area and beyond.
The California Jazz Conservatory is the only independent accredited music conservatory in the country — it is 100% devoted to jazz and related styles of music — and 100% devoted to you! The California Jazz Conservatory celebrates and promotes individual expression on all fronts and will support you in becoming the unique artist you seek to become.