The mission of the Gene Harris Jazz Festival is to educate, entertain and enrich listeners of all ages in Boise and surrounding communities to the exciting sound of all forms of jazz music; to encourage the appreciation of, and participation in music by children and adults alike; to support an endowment that will provide ongoing financial support for guest artists, music scholarships and the festival at BSU.

Festival History

In 1996 a group of business leaders, educators and musicians led by Gene Harris made a commitment to improve the quality of life for this community by forming the Gene Harris Endowment. The endowment provides scholarships for jazz music students at Boise State University. In 1998, they continued their commitment by forming the Gene Harris Jazz Festival. Gene brought together the best jazz artists to perform in public concerts at night and work with aspiring young musicians during the day. The festival has brought artists including Dave Brubeck, Ramsey Lewis, Arturo Sandoval, Poncho Sanchez, Kevin Eubanks, and many more. The ongoing goal of the Gene Harris Jazz Festival is better serving the jazz community and all of the elements that are a part of it, including: great public jazz concerts, a wide range of educational experiences for students of jazz, and furthering the growth of the Gene Harris Endowment.