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Welcome to the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Youth Orchestra
Upcoming Events:
We are thrilled to host our final "In Session" Improv Workshop & Jam Session of the season in partnership with the American Poetry Museum in the Brookland neighborhood.
Sunday May 17th, 2026
"Exploring Afro-Latin Jazz"
featuring bassist
Pepe Gonzalez
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
American Poetry Museum – Brookland, DC
The American Poetry Museum is an intimate outreach museum and community space dedicated to celebrating poetry, literacy, and the diversity of the American experience, located right on the Brookland Arts Walk at 716 Monroe St. NE, Studio 25, steps from the Brookland–CUA Metro stop.
Tuesday May 19th
"The Young Artists Series"
featuring:
Vocalist Alexa Givens
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Alexa Givens, original vocalist with the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Youth Orchestra, returns to where it all began as a featured artist on this concert. Now a Presidential Scholar at Berklee College of Music, she is quickly emerging as a versatile young voice in contemporary music. Her debut single “Broken Record” introduced her as a distinctive storyteller and marks the first chapter of her forthcoming releases.
This concert will feature the BBJYO performing iconic works such as Benny Carter’s “Symphony In Riffs”, Ellington’s “Mood Indigo”, and Gregory Porter’s “On My Way To Harlem”. Our featured guest, Alexa, will perform Ella Fitzgerald’s version of “How High The Moon” with the orchestra and present her own quartet set featuring some of her original songs!
The Writer's Center
4508 Walsh St, Bethesda, MD
Come Join the Orchestra!
We rehearse Mondays 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Check out our current Rehearsal Schedule and Auditions page for more information.
The Bethesda Blues and Jazz Youth Orchestra (BBJYO)
was created by the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Foundation in April, 2017 and was lead by the late great Jazz saxophonist Fred Foss. The Foundation is a nonprofit, music and education organization with a mission to provide an educational environment and opportunities for young musicians to experience and perform jazz music. BBJYO is made up of high school and middle school musicians and rehearses in the historic Bethesda Theatre under the direction of trumpeter and music educator, Kenny Rittenhouse, and pianist and music educator, Bob Murad.
Please consider Donating to BBJYO as we raise funds for the 2025-2026 academic year. Thank you!
Photos by Herman Burney www.bassmintphoto.com