Welcome to the Jazzschool Institute!

Founded in 2008, the Jazzschool Institute is a music conservatory offering the aspiring professional musician a progressive education and performance degree program in Jazz Studies.

The Jazzschool Institute is located in the historic Kress Building on Addison Street in the heart of the Downtown Berkeley Arts District. Part of the vibrant East Bay performing arts scene, the Jazzschool Institute is situated in close proximity to the Berkeley Repertory and Aurora Theatres, Freight and Salvage, Downtown Restaurant and the world class performing arts presenter, Cal Performances at the University of California, Berkeley. Only half a block from BART, the Jazzschool Institute is easily accessible by public transportation and just 20 minutes away from San Francisco.

Under the umbrella of the Jazzschool, a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation, the Jazzschool Institute offers instrumentalists and vocalists a challenging core curriculum of performance, jazz theory and improvisation, ear training, composition, arranging, transcription and analysis, and music history courses taught by professional artists and educators in the fields of jazz. Rounding out the degree, additional required courses include the business of music, personal financial planning, music technology and pedagogy. These, along with a wide array of electives, serve to prepare the aspiring professional jazz musician for a fulfilling career in the performing arts.

Admission to the Jazzschool Institute is based on a live audition. Subsequent to admission, students also take a theory and aural skills placement exam. The Jazzschool Institute accepts incoming freshmen as well as junior transfer students. Some prerequisite courses as well as courses in the core curriculum may be taken at the Jazzschool community music school or other institutions on a by-approval basis.

The Jazzschool Institute offers students:

• a synergistic, comprehensive jazz education and performance program for today’s aspiring professional jazz instrumentalist and vocalist
  
  
• small classes taught by professional artists and experienced educators in the field of jazz
  and related styles of music
  
  
• opportunities to study with world-renowned artists through a partnership with Yoshi’s Jazz Club
  
  
• performance opportunities at Yoshi’s and other prominent Bay Area venues
  
  
• access to important networking opportunities
  
  
• easy access to the San Francisco Bay Area’s thriving arts scene via public transportation

The Jazzschool Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It does not discriminate in the admissions process or in the awarding of financial aid on the basis of race, religion, sex, national origin, or disability.