BUCKHANNON, West Virginia — The WVWC Department of Music will host the 2026 WVWC Jazz Festival, April 10 through Sunday, April 12, bringing together jazz students from north central West Virginia for a weekend of music-making, collaboration, and performance.

Adam Loudin ‘07, director of the jazz program at WVWC, will serve as clinician for the festival.

“We are thrilled to bring high school students together on campus to learn and be inspired by this music,” Loudin said. “At WVWC, we have a long history of students who are dedicated to learning to play jazz, and it is a great joy to bring high school students to campus to be surrounded by current students and alumni who have been a part of the culture that has existed here for many decades,” Loudin said.

The festival will feature the WVWC Alumni All-Star Big Band on Saturday, April 11, at 7 p.m. in the WVWC Dining Hall. The band will bring together musicians from multiple generations of WVWC students and alumni, highlighting the lasting tradition of jazz at the College. The weekend will conclude with performances by the current WVWC Jazz Ensemble and the 2026 WVWC High School Honor Band on Sunday, April 12, at 7 p.m. in the Virginia Thomas Law Center for the Performing Arts.

The festival highlights student achievement and provides opportunities for young musicians to learn from collegiate performers, alumni, and one another in a dynamic jazz setting.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for 135 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2026 Best Colleges in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2026  Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan second in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and counseling; 22 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.