Yesterday, the Rochester Regional Health Rochester International Jazz Festival presented by M&T Bank announced the inaugural season of the RIJF Innovation Jazz Series, a seven-concert series that RIJF Festival Producer and Executive Marc Iacona noted is meant to “expand the Rochester International Jazz Festival experience beyond our nine days in June and bring exceptional live jazz to Rochester audiences throughout the year.” This is a welcome injection of the world-class jazz we hear in June to help warm up our Winter months and take us through Spring into to the RIJF’s jazz in June. The RIJF Innovation Jazz Series will feature seven major artists/ensembles:

• The New York Voices (their Farewell Tour) (October 15th)
• The Groover Quartet (November 5th)
• CONNECTED featuring Richie Goods and Chien Chien Lu (January 14, 2027)
• The John Pizzarelli Trio (February 11, 2027)
• Bria Skonberg (March 18, 2027)
• The Sergio Mendes Band (April 8, 2027)
• Ulysses Owens Jr. and Generation Y (May 6, 2027)

The concerts will be presented each month from October 15, 2026, through May 6, 2027. All seven concerts will be at The Theater at Innovation Square in downtown Rochester, one of the RIJF’s venues. The 90-minute concerts begin at 7:30 pm, with doors opening at 6:30 pm.

Individual show tickets are $47.63, including all fees. Seating is general admission for individual concert tickets. If you plan on hitting them all, there is a Series pass for $182.43, including all fees, which is on sale now (which will save you 40%). Season ticket holders may choose their seats and keep them for the entire season. Get the Season Pass or tickets for individual concerts on the RIJF ticketing site.