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Join us for the Annual UTA Jazz Festival!

UTA Jazz Festival - Seating Chart

2027 UTA Jazz Festival and Combo Competition

 
Festival Director: 
Tim Ishii, Director of Jazz Studies (817) 272-1205
tishii@uta.edu  
 
Festival Coordinator:  
Vincent Tran (817)-513-2629
vincent.tran3@uta.edu
 
The 2027 UTA Jazz Festival and Combo Competition will be taking place in Texas Hall on April 9th-10th. Registration is now open! The Registration deadline is March 1st!
 
April 9th: Middle School, 3A, 4A, Combo Contest 
April 10th: 5A, 6A, Combo Competition
 
This year's featured guest artist is vocalist Kira Goidel.  

 

 

Big Band Competition Rules:
 
Eligibility:  
 
 
 
 
 
*A student may not perform in more than one ensemble without prior consent from the festival director. 
 
Competition:  
 
Classification will be based upon Texas U.I.L. enrollment criteria. All bands must perform/compete with other schools in the same class.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  • 6A I & 6A II 
 
 
  • Second Big Band Groups will compete in one class lower than their school's classification. If three or more second bands enter from the same classification, a new, separate classification will be formed. Schools are only allowed to bring MAX 4 GROUPS (2 Big Bands and 2 Combo) 
 
 
  • If there are fewer than 3 bands in one classification, we reserve the right to move all bands in that class down a classification 
 
 
Time Limits:  
 
 
 
Music:  
 
 
  • A copy of the score for each selection is required for each judge. 
 
Feedback:  
 
 
  • The feedback clinician's comments are for educational purposes only and have no bearing on the judges' scoring. 
 
 
Equipment:
 
 
  • Stage: UTA will provide: Drum kit, bass amp, guitar amp, and a keyboard.
 
  • Bands will need to provide their own cymbals, hi-hat clutch, bass drum pedal, and aux percussion/vibraphone.
 
 
Adjudication: 
 
 
 
  • Winners will be announced at the evening awards concert, and packets will be mailed shortly thereafter. 
 
Awards:  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Awards Concert:  
 
 
 
  • All participating groups are welcome to attend for free; all non-participants who would like to attend may purchase tickets at the door or online at utatickets.com.
 
ENTRY DEADLINE: Entries are limited by space availability and accepted on a first-come basis. Entries will be accepted on a space-availability basis after the deadline date. March 1st, 2027
***Entry fees are non-refundable after the deadline date.  
 
SPECIAL NOTE: 
Entry reservations will not be held without receipt of the entry fee. If you prefer to guarantee your band a place, your personal check will be held until the deadline date or until official written notification of intended payment is received from your school's business office or principal verifying a check is forthcoming. 

 
 

 

Festival Director

Timothy Ishii, M.M. University of North Texas

Department of Music

Professor, Jazz Studies Area Coordinator

Area: Jazz Studies, Saxophone

Timothy Ishii's Faculty Profile

Timothy Ishii

Email: tishii@uta.edu

Phone #: 817-272-1205

Office: FA 367-H

Bio: Tim Ishii has been Director of Jazz Studies at UT Arlington since 2004. Under his direction, the Jazz Orchestra has performed in Mexico City, Germany, Hawaii, Kansas, throughout Texas and the surrounding Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. In 2007 the Jazz Orchestra was selected to perform at the Texas Music Educators Conference in San Antonio, Texas and in 2009 the band was awarded the “Gene Hall” award as the Outstanding Collegiate Band at the University of North Texas/City of Addison Jazz Festival which included bands selected by taped audition from coast to coast. Tim is active as a clinician and has conducted numerous high school and college honor bands in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Oregon. In December 2014, he appeared as guest artist with the Iolani High School Jazz Band (Honolulu, Hawaii) in Kobe, Japan performing at the Konan Boys High School Winter Jazz Festival and Konan Women’s University. He is Past President of the Texas Jazz Educators Association and is Co-Music Director for the Hawaii Jazz Institute, a joint collaboration between the University of Texas at Arlington and the Iolani School in Honolulu, Hawaii. As part of the 2015 Hawaii Jazz Institute, the UT Arlington Jazz Orchestra performed aboard the USS Missouri battleship that is now docked at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In addition, Tim and the UT Arlington Jazz Faculty performed and provided educational enrichment at the 2015 Maui Jazz Festival. In May of 2016, Tim was invited to give big band clinics in Detmold, Germany at the Hochschule Fur Musik and also presented a master class to area saxophonists at the Haus Die Musik in Detmold. In October of 2016, Tim along with fellow UTA Jazz Faculty and students traveled to Stockholm, Sweden to finalize arrangements for a Study Abroad Exchange program with the Royal College of Music. The group also was invited to participate in the 2016 International Jazz Education Festival hosted by the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. In June of 2016, Tim, the UT Arlington Jazz Faculty, and Jazz Orchestra returned to Hawaii to work with students from the Honolulu area in the Hawaii Jazz Institute. Since 2016, the UT Arlington Jazz Area has continued outreach efforts in Hawaii, Sweden, Germany, and China. The UT Arlington Jazz Program is proud to sponsor the Eddie Gomez Trio in Residence each fall and spring semester. Tim maintains an active freelance and clinician schedule. Tim is an Artist/Clinician for Conn-Selmer and D’addario.