Montavilla Jazz

Mission

We grew up in the Portland jazz scene and exist to carry it forward. We do that by supporting local artists, bringing music education and jazz history into neighborhood schools, and welcoming audiences to diverse sounds.

Bottom Line

Every legend has a first performance and every lifelong fan has a first encounter. That’s who we do it for. At Montavilla Jazz, we create opportunities for the local artists leading the scene, the students and emerging musicians following in their footsteps, and the audiences who show up to root them on. Together, we’re strengthening Portland through the kind of fresh, original music only this city could dream up.

Quote

“You’ve introduced us to a whole new world of jazz artists in Portland that we now get to follow around the city.” - 2026 Festival Attendee

“The Montavilla Jazz Festival experience was transformative for me personally as an artist. It was the first time in my life that anyone in music or art had really said to me, ‘Think big.’” - Jessie Marquez, Jazz Vocalist & 2026 Festival Artist

“This is more than a music program–it is a powerful, community-centered initiative that supports our students’ sense of identity, belonging, and possibility.” - Sabrina Flamoe, Principal at Vestal Elementary

Incentives

More info about incentives coming soon!

Partner(s)

COMMUNITY PARTNERS
North Pole Studio supports careers in the arts, and exists to increase opportunities for artists with autism & intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) to thrive as active members of the arts community. The 2026 Montavilla Jazz Festival opened with Rhythm & Hues, a collaborative North Pole Studio project pairing musicians and visual artists with autism and I/DD.