The 25th season of Jazz in June at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln takes the stage June 7 with a performance by 10-time Grammy Award winner Arturo Sandoval.
Jazz in June concerts are at 7 p.m. each Tuesday in June in the sculpture garden immediately west of UNL’s Sheldon Museum of Art. The series is free, but attendees are encouraged to make a donation to help ensure its continuation.
Along with the performance, the concert series also features a marketplace with 19 vendors offering food, drinks and artisan crafts; VIP seating; basic yoga lessons; campus garden tours; and free bike parking by UNL’s BikeValet service.
Launched in 1991 as a way to bring a younger audience to Sheldon Museum of Art, the series has grown to draw thousands to each concert. This year, Jazz in June has become an independent campus entity, with oversight provided by UNL and the Lied Center for Performing Arts.
Bill Stephan, director of the Lied Center, leads the Jazz in June advisory board.
“I’m very excited about this season,” Stephan said. “Everyone I’ve talked to in the community has been very pleased or is anticipating the program. Jazz in June is a treasure of the community. We want to continue to grow the program and raise it to another level.”
Sandoval is among the biggest names to take to the Jazz in June stage. He is a protégé of legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, and has evolved into one of the world’s most acknowledged guardians of jazz trumpet and flugelhorn.
Sandoval was born in a small town in the outskirts of Havana, Cuba. He began studying classical trumpet at the age of 12. Today, he is also a renowned classical artist, pianist and composer.
Other performers in the 2016 jazz concert lineup are Lao Tizer, Jackie Allen and Tim Doherty’s Nine Plus One.
Concertgoers are allowed to bring lawn chairs or blankets. Pets are not allowed.
VIP tickets available
VIP tickets, available for individual concerts or for all four weeks of Jazz in June, offer a guaranteed seat in a section in front of the stage; free food from a marketplace vendor; a meet and greet with the featured performer; and half price series T-shirts. The tickets are available for purchase through the Lied Center. Learn more here.
Free basic yoga
UNL Campus Recreation will offer basic yoga lessons from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. before each concert in the greenspace north of UNL’s Woods Art Building. Participants are encouraged to bring a towel or mat.
Marketplace
Located at 12th and R streets, the Jazz in June Market features a variety of vendors with food, drinks and artisan-made crafts. The marketplace opens at 5 p.m. each week. A full list of vendors is available here.
Bike parking service
UNL BikeValet offers free, secure parking for bicycles from 5 p.m. until one hour after each concert. The service is available on the east end of the marketplace. For more information, click here or contact the UNL Outdoor Adventures Center at 402-472-4777.
Garden tours
Walking tours of UNL’s botanical gardens and arboretum will again be offered prior to Jazz in June concerts. The tours begin at 6 p.m. near the Sheldon’s east entrance. The June 7 tour will explore “Historic and Unique Trees on Campus.” It will be led by Eileen Bergt, assistant director of UNL’s landscape services. For more information on the tour and future tour themes, click here.
Inclement weather
In the event of bad weather, the Sandoval performance will shift to the Lied Center. The Bourbon Theatre, 1415 O St., is the rain site for the remaining 2016 Jazz in June concerts.
For more information about the annual concert series, click here.
