Experience Jazz at UNCSA’s 2025 Spontaneous Sound Jazz Festival

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Have you ever thought about playing an instrument? Or maybe you want to sharpen your music skills? Well, look no further than the 2025 “Spontaneous Sound” Jazz Festival hosted by The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The event will be presented by Mercedes-Benz of Winston-Salem. 

Festival-goers can enjoy performances by UNCSA’s “The Road,” a student ensemble performing music off of the first two albums of the rock band Chicago and the UNCSA Rational Discourse Project, an Avant-Garde small big band pushing the limits of collaborative improvisation, plus special guest artists.

WFMY News 2 caught up with the brainchild behind the festival, Steve Alford, the School of Music’s jazz and contemporary department chair. Alford shares how the festival got started.

“It was a partnership between the new improvised Jazz studio at UNCSA and the Mercedes-Benz of Winston-Salem and we just want to put on all and explore all different kinds of music genres. It’s not a formalized concert so if you want you can listen but also chat with your neighbors and hang out or have a drink if they want to and just enjoy the community aspect too,” Alford said. 

When it comes to improvisation in Jazz, Alford says artist will typically use their instruments to describe a feeling and that can go from Jazz all the way to Rock-N-Roll or Experimental Electronics. 

The festival will have four live music stages, food available all afternoon and evening at a myriad of local establishments within walking distance, and one ticket granting all-access, all-day and night entry.

Festival goers can also sharpen their skills with instrument masterclasses (sax, trumpet, trombone, piano, guitar, bass and drums) and improvisation workshops. You’ll also want to check out the “Life on the Road” Q&A with current and former members of the Michael Bublé Orchestra.

For ticket information, just click or tap HERE. 

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