WEST CHESTER, PA — A century of jazz history will come alive at West Chester University this fall as students, alumni, faculty, and guest artists gather for three days of concerts, dancing, and music education celebrating 100 years of the Criterions Jazz Ensemble.
The Nov. 6-8 celebration will look back at the ensemble’s evolution from a student-led ballroom dance band in the 1920s to what the university describes as the nation’s longest-running university jazz band. It will also look ahead, with newly commissioned music, a fundraising campaign for a permanent jazz-program endowment and performances bringing multiple generations of Criterions musicians together.
Internationally acclaimed vibraphonist and educator Stefon Harris will serve as a featured guest throughout the weekend. Harris will lead a public masterclass Saturday before joining current Criterions musicians and an alumni ensemble for Sunday’s centennial concert.
The celebration begins Friday evening with a free welcome concert featuring the Criterions Jazz Ensemble and Statesmen. Professors Mark Allen and Jonathan Ragonese will lead the program as jazz alumni return to campus.
Saturday afternoon will shift the focus to education when Harris leads a free masterclass for WCU students and members of the university community in the Philips Autograph Library.
That evening, the music moves to the dance floor for “A Dance Soirée: Celebrating 100 Years of Jazz.” An alumni dance band and the current Criterions Jazz Ensemble will perform music inspired by the Big Band Era during a ticketed evening that includes a cocktail hour, dinner, and drinks.
Event Details
- What: West Chester University’s 100 Years of Jazz celebration honoring the Criterions Jazz Ensemble
- When: Friday, November 6, through Sunday, November 8, 2026. Welcome Concert: Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Stefon Harris Masterclass: Saturday at 2 p.m.; Dance Soirée: Saturday from 6:30–10:30 p.m.; Centennial Concert: Sunday at 3 p.m.
- Where: Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall and Philips Autograph Library, Philips Memorial Building, 700 S. High Street, West Chester, PA 19383; Dance Soirée at the Science and Engineering Center and Commons Ballroom, 155 University Avenue, West Chester, PA 19383
- Cost/Tickets: Friday’s concert and Saturday’s masterclass are free and open to the public. The Dance Soirée is $100 and includes dinner and drinks; advance RSVP is required. Sunday’s concert is ticketed.
- More Info: https://www.wcupa.edu/communications/newsroom/2026/09.24Crites100.aspx; Dance Soirée RSVP at https://www.wcufoundation.org/e/jazz; Sunday concert tickets at https://wcupatix.com/wells-school-of-music
Sunday afternoon will provide the weekend’s finale as Harris joins an all-star alumni band and the current Criterions Jazz Ensemble in Asplundh Concert Hall.
The program will include premieres of newly commissioned works by Bob Mintzer and Orrin Evans, giving the anniversary celebration new music designed specifically to mark the ensemble’s centennial.
The Criterions began in the 1920s as a student-led ballroom band performing for university dances, proms, and post-football gatherings. The ensemble became faculty-led in the early 1980s as the Wells School of Music developed its jazz curriculum and has since performed around the country, recorded albums, and worked with leading jazz artists.
The anniversary also carries a lasting component beyond the weekend. Through the West Chester University Foundation, the 100 Years of Jazz campaign is raising money for a permanent endowment supporting the university’s jazz program. Donations can be made at https://www.wcufoundation.org/g/jazz.
For a program built on generations of students passing music forward, the centennial celebration will do much the same — bringing former Criterions back to West Chester while giving today’s musicians a chance to perform, learn, and help shape the ensemble’s next century.
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