Jazz St. Louis opened a new $10 million performance and education center Oct. 2 with a performance by Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. The show took place in Jazz at the Bistro (Jazz St. Louis’ the performance venue), housed within the new Steward Center for Jazz.
According to a press release, the new live performance venue includes live streaming capabilities, the education center, a jazz lounge and staff headquarters. The $10 million capital campaign kicked off in August 2013.
The Harold and Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz is located at 3536 Washington Avenue. The re-designed Ferring Jazz Bistro is home to the Jazz at the Bistro concert series.
According to the press release, amenities include seating for 200 (expanding capacity 34% from the previous club space); unobstructed views of the entire stage with no seat more than 45 feet away from center stage; and a fully accessible facility with ground level entrance and elevator.
The new Centene Jazz Education Center, according to the press release, “will enhance Jazz St. Louis’ education programs, which have already reached more than 140,000 students since the year 2000 through in-school performances and master classes, youth concerts, student ensembles, and more. The new education center will house two large rehearsal studios; a recording studio that will also be connected to the Bistro to serve as a resource to record and live stream performances on the internet and broadcast over radio
six soundproof practice rooms; a resource room featuring computers loaded with music, composition software, and more; student lounge; and the brand new Nancy’s Jazz Lounge located next door to the Bistro, which seats up to 60 and features a large video wall that will simulcast the Bistro’s live performances.
For more information about Jazz St. Louis, visit JAZZSTL or Facebook/JAZZSTL.
