From Manhattan to Tuscany, Kyoto, and Salvador de Bahia: New York Jazz Workshop Invites Musicians to Play the World

NYC’s 18-year-old music school combines international jazz immersions with summer intensives and year-round community

NEW YORK, April 29, 2026 (Newswire.com)
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What if your next trip included a jazz concert under the Tuscan stars, a jam session in a Kyoto café, or a percussion workshop at the legendary Escola Olodum in Salvador de Bahia? For the students of the New York Jazz Workshop (NYJW), that’s not a fantasy – it’s the curriculum.

Now in its 18th year, the Manhattan-based music school has built something no other independent music program in the U.S. can match: a complete musical journey that starts with a private lesson or weekly ensemble class in Midtown and extends to week-long immersive experiences on three continents.

Three Destinations, One Philosophy

Jazz Improvisation Camp in Tuscany (June 2026): Entering its ninth year, NYJW’s flagship international program brings musicians from around the world to a vineyard and farmhouse in the Tuscan countryside. Two week-long sessions – one for instrumentalists, one for vocalists – combine rigorous study with gourmet meals and evening concerts. Faculty includes NYJW co-founder Marc Mommaas, guitarist Kenny Wessel (12 years with Ornette Coleman’s Prime Time), and vocalist Michelle Walker.

Kyoto Jazz Immersion (October 2026): Masterclasses, ensemble sessions, temple visits, and a final concert with a Japanese guest artist. Led by bassist Dave Ambrosio and co-founder Marc Mommaas, with local guides who run a Kyoto jazz café.

Music & Arts in Brazil (returning 2027): An all-inclusive week in Salvador de Bahia – UNESCO “City of Music” and birthplace of bossa nova and samba. Daily workshops, the Escola Olodum, the Casa do Carnaval, and Bahian cuisine. Limited to 10 participants.

“Since 2008, we’ve been proving that learning jazz is for everyone. Whether you’re picking up jazz for the first time or deepening years of experience, you belong here.”

– Marco Chelo, Co-Founder, New York Jazz Workshop

Summer in the Jazz Capital

Each July and August, NYJW offers multi-day intensives in jazz improvisation, bebop, Brazilian music, vocals, guitar, and piano – from $465 (3 days) to $625 (4 days), significantly below comparable national programs. A Teen Summer Jazz Camp (ages 12-16) runs weekly at $840. All programs can be combined with private lessons.

Year-Round Programs

NYJW offers weekly ensemble workshops in improvisation, rhythm, the Great American Songbook, bebop, Brazilian ensemble, blues, and more. Private lessons cover all instruments and subjects. Structured online courses serve students worldwide. The faculty of 40+ professional musicians holds affiliations with Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, NYU, and The New School, with credits at Carnegie Hall, the Blue Note, and Birdland.

Registration is open for all 2026 7 2027 programs at newyorkjazzworkshop.com or by calling (212) 287-5908.

About New York Jazz Workshop

Founded in 2008, the New York Jazz Workshop is a musician-centered music school in Midtown Manhattan serving thousands of students annually through private lessons, ensemble workshops, summer intensives, international programs in Italy, Japan, and Brazil, and corporate team building. Faculty includes 40+ professional musicians affiliated with Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, NYU, and The New School.

Contact: Marco Chelo, Co-Founder | [email protected] | (212) 287-5908

Web: newyorkjazzworkshop.com

SOURCE: New York Jazz Workshop, Inc

Source: New York Jazz Workshop, Inc