Next Jazz Legacy
Forecasted
Next Jazz Legacy supports emerging jazz improvisers through apprenticeships, mentorship, showcases, and creative and career development resources to build a more inclusive and sustainable future for jazz.
Funder: New Music USA
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $10,000 unrestricted grant per artist, plus a one-year performance apprenticeship and professional development support
Summary: Next Jazz Legacy supports emerging jazz improvisers through customized apprenticeships, mentorship, performance showcases, and creative and career development resources.
Key Information: Applicants must be ages 21–35 at application; jazz improvisers on all instruments, including voice, are welcome.
Description
Next Jazz Legacy is a national apprenticeship and mentorship program run by New Music USA in partnership with the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, with support from the Mellon Foundation. Led by GRAMMY-winning artist and NEA Jazz Master Terri Lyne Carrington, it supports emerging professional jazz improvisers and seeks to build a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future for jazz.
The program centers customized apprenticeships connecting emerging artists with seasoned musicians and jazz elders. Its support combines on-stage experience, artistic and business mentorship, peer learning, festival showcases, and financial resources for creative and professional development. Developed to address gender disparities and expand opportunities for historically underrepresented artists, Next Jazz Legacy welcomes musicians of all gender and sexual identities.
