Previewing the 2026 Rochester International Jazz Festival

By Hannah Maier, Megan Mack, Julie Williams

Published June 12, 2026 at 3:13 PM EDT

Four people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a young man front left has short brown hair and is wearing eyeglasses, a black blazer, white button-down shirt, beige pants and brown shoes; a woman front right has long blonde hair and is wearing a black shirt, black pants and black shoes; a man back left has short grey hair and is wearing a navy blazer over a light blue button-down shirt; a man back right has short grey hair and is wearing a blue blazer over a blue button-down shirt.

1 of 2 — (foreground) Joey Stempien, (background) Marc Iacona and John Nugent with guest host Hannah Maier on "Connections"

(foreground) Joey Stempien, (background) Marc Iacona and John Nugent with guest host Hannah Maier on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Friday, June 12, 2026

Mary Hussong-Kallen / WXXI News

A black and white photo of a man with short hair who is wearing a bow tie, button-down shirt and blazer and holding drumsticks.

2 of 2 — Joe Farnsworth.png

Joe Farnsworth

Provided

A smiling woman with long blonde hair sits in front of a microphone at a table in a radio talk studio wearing headphones and a black top. — Hannah Maier guest hosting "Connections"

It's Jazz Fest season! The Route's Hannah Maier is in the host chair this hour for a preview of the 2026 Rochester International Jazz Festival.

This year's event runs June 19 through June 27 and includes more than 300 concerts performed by more than 1,77 artists.

We hear from some of those artists this hour, as they discuss what it's like to perform in Rochester, the state of the music industry, and how different societal and technological forces are changing their business. We also dive into the music itself.

Our guests:

Marc Iacona, executive producer and director of the Rochester International Jazz Festival
John Nugent, producer and artistic director of the Rochester International Jazz Festival
Joey Stempien, composer and bandleader of the Joey Stempien Big Band
Joe Farnworth, jazz drummer