CNY Jazz Central is home to the CNY Jazz Arts Foundation (CNYJAF), which works to enrich our community by sustaining the art form of American Jazz through performance, presentation and education.  Located in the heart of downtown Syracuse, CNY Jazz Central includes a 78-seat theater space that provides an intimate venue for performances by local students, regional groups, and internationall-renowned jazz artists. Additional services include a jazz music library, a meeting space for area artists, and more.

“Jazz Central prides itself in being an incubator for not only jazz, but music and talent in all disciplines,” says Executive Director Larry Luttinger.  “We’re now entering our fourth complete season, and we’re the busiest theater in downtown Syracuse, producing more than 150 shows and public presentations.  We are open to both community groups and individuals who need a public space to develop and showcase their talents.”

Founded in 1996, CNYJAF trains more than 4,000 students annually and presents and performs to a public audience of 80,000 each year.  In addition to bringing world-class musicians to Syracuse, CNY Jazz Central is also home to the prize-winning big band sound of the CNY Jazz Orchestra with performances scheduled throughout the region.  CNYJAF is also the principal organizer of the Northeast Jazz and Wine Festival, held in Clinton Square each summer as an anchor event for Artsweek along the Connective Corridor.

For more information on their many programs, visit cnyjazz.org.