Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival

The Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival (PIJF) presented by Citizens has brought people from all over the world to Pittsburgh for jazz and community.   Our mission is to preserve the legacy of jazz and elevate and amplify the creativity of artists sharing their stories through music.

The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is home base for opening night and jam sessions at PIFJ; a state-of-the-art venue designed by award-winning architect Allison Williams.  We have extended the festival, to include a Thursday night concert with the luminous Madison McFerrin, and the sonically free music of Samora Pinder Hughes as part of the Uhuru Session Series, sponsored by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.   Friday night we will celebrate at the Taste of Jazz Party, featuring a variety of jazz styles, delicious food, dancing and craft cocktails.  We will ring in the 50^th anniversary of Hip Hop with DJ Selecta spinning Hip Hop and Jazz classic collaborations.  

Thanks to Amtrak, we have launched the inaugural PIJF Jazz Train hosted by jazz pianist and producer, Orrin Evans.  We welcome all those that board to join us in Pittsburgh for festival weekend.  

Our outdoor festival home, the Highmark Stadium sits right on the river with a beautiful skyline of downtown Pittsburgh as a backdrop.  The clean, safe setting gives music lovers plenty of room to spread out, dance and enjoy themselves. We honor soul/R & B legends JIMMY JAM AND TERRY LEWIS, a rare jazz festival experience.  Rich, diverse voices in jazz; Somi, Christie Dashiell, PJ Morton, Kurt Elling, Gregory Porter…are all soulful, and so diverse that you will find your story in their songs. Keyon Harrold, Orrin Evans, Chelsea Baratz, Emmet Cohen and Howard Alexander have unique styles and carry on the legacy and tradition of jazz.  The Spanish Harlem Orchestra celebrates twenty years together bringing the sounds of el barrio, with deep respect for legacy of salsa dura. Come ready to dance!  This year, we will be treated to the legendary sound of saxophonist, HOUSTON PERSON, who has sustained and pushed this music forward for over six decades, playing blues, soul, straight-ahead; this is musical storytelling at its best!  

Special thanks to Citizens Bank, our Presenting Sponsor; Bacardi, our Presenting Libation Sponsor; UPMC and UPMC Health Plan; P & W BMW and Mini of Pittsburgh; Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield; AARP; Arsenal Cider House; DownBeat Magazine; Entertainment Cruise Productions; JazzCorner; and so many other in kind and media sponsors.  We are also grateful to our JazzFest Friends from around the country for their support.  

Join us for PIJF; we will save a seat for you.

Janis Burley Wilson
President & CEO
August Wilson African American Cultural Center

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PIJF Advisory Board

• Ron Alvarado
• Terri Bell
• Demeatria Boccella
• Esther L. Bush
• Michael Canton
• Dr. Harry Clark
• Cory Cope
• Elizabeth Crow
• Tracey Edmunds
• James Frederick
• William Generett
• Lois Gilbert
• Tania Grubbs
• Scott Hanley
• Carlton Heywood
• Amy Janocha
• Joseph L. Lewis III
• Monica Malik
• Marcia Martin
• Alex Matthews
• Carolyn McClair
• Nate Mitchell
• Gustavo Paredes
• Wilfredo Ramos
• Suzanne Rideout
• Bob Studebaker
• James E. Taylor, Ph.D.
• Thomas Wendt
• Ronda Zegarelli