50th Annual PSU Jazz Festival Concert: The Matt Catingub Big Band
Event information
March 01, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Presented By: PSU Department of Music
Event details
Tickets are on sale for a milestone moment in Pitt State history: the 50th Annual PSU Jazz Festival Concert featuring the Matt Catingub Big Band, which wraps up the day-long festival featuring more than 70 high school and middle school bands.
The concert will kick off with the PSU Jazz Ensemble, directed by Professor Todd Hastings, before the headliner takes the stage.
Matt Catingub is considered one of the pioneers of the modern Big Band. Read more about him here.
Tickets are $16 for adults and $10 for children, seniors, and military. Pitt State students are admitted free, and discounted tickets for PSU faculty and staff are available with valid Pitt State ID.
They may be purchased or picked up at the PSU Ticket Office in 137 Garfield Weede Building. They also may be purchased at 620-235-4796 or at pittstate.edu/tickets.
About the Festival
The festival was started in 1974 by Professor of Music Russell Jones with just 14 bands. In 1978, he passed the baton to Professor Robert Kehle, who continued to grow it until his retirement in 2023. It’s now coordinated by a committee of music faculty with Kehle as a consultant.
Beginning at 8 a.m. and continuing throughout the day, student bands will take turns playing for a group of judges who are experienced educators and musicians.
Those performances will take place at the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts, 1711 S. Homer, and at Memorial Auditorium, 503 N. Pine. They are open to the public at no charge.
“I've had the privilege of being part of the festival for 27 years and it’s a landmark cultural event for our area, the university, and the state of Kansas,” Hastings said. “Bob Kehle has done a wonderful job of turning the festival into a must-see event, inspiring countless students, educators, and professional musicians. It’s an incredibly exciting event that the students and the community look forward to each year.”