Midwest Young Artists Conservatory

878 Lyster Rd

Highwood, IL 60040

(847) 926-9898

mya@mya.org

Evening Jazz Ensembles

As the region's largest youth music ensemble program, Midwest Young Artists Conservatory (MYAC) offers unparalleled orchestral, chamber, jazz, and choral music education of the highest quality. Each year, nearly 1,000 students of all ages and abilities from over 60 communities across Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana come together to study and rehearse at our campus in Highwood, Illinois. Our mission is to build a home with the power of music, enriching the lives of our students and their communities.

Evening Jazz Ensembles provide a fun, high-quality jazz experience with fellow young musicians throughout the Chicago area. This program is a great way for students to keep up their jazz studies throughout the summer, and is perfect for students who are unable to attend a full-day summer music camp. You can take a summer job, attend summer school, and still learn great repertoire and prepare to play concerts.

Evening Jazz Ensembles takes place at the picturesque and historic MYAC Center in Fort Sheridan at 878 Lyster Road, Highwood, IL.

2026 Dates and Times: 

June 22 - July 15

Rehearsals are on Monday and Wednesday nights from 6:00 - 8:00 PM 

Final concert - July 18

Levels: 

Summer evening jazz ensemble students range from beginners, with respect to jazz and improvisation, to more experienced students looking to improve their command of jazz language and musicality. Students will be divided into two levels based on their experience. Both levels will be rehearsing at the same time.

Students entering 6th grade or above as of Fall 2026 are welcome. This includes advanced high school students and students that may be starting their journey as jazz musicians. A minimum of two years on an instrument is highly recommended. Students should know fingerings on their instrument, a minimum of three major scales, and have the ability to read music. 

This camp does not require an audition.

Faculty

Drew Hansen is a Chicago trumpet player making a name for himself as a thoughtful composer and adventurous improviser who combines seemingly disparate influences into a cohesive musical statement. Drew earned his degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where he studied with Chicago trumpet luminary, Tito Carrillo, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Charles Daval, and founding member of the Canadian Brass, Ronald Romm. Drew was a member of both the Concert Jazz Ensemble under Chip McNeil and the Latin Jazz Ensemble under Tito Carrillo. 

Emily Kuhn is a jazz trumpet player based in Chicago, IL, described by the Chicago Jazz Magazine as having “a charismatic style and a sophistication that belies her youth.” Originally from Charlottesville, VA, Emily has made a name for herself as an active bandleader, sidewoman, composer, and educator. She released two albums via BACE Records, "Sky Stories" (2020) and "Ghosts of Us" (2023), to numerous accolades. She was named a Luminarts Fellow in Jazz in 2020.

2026 Summer Tuition and Refund Policy

Tuition is $393.75 for all 4 weeks of instruction.Flexible attendance is allowed because of summer travel.

Summer invoices will be sent out by June 1, 2026. Full payment is due two weeks before the program start date. Cancellations made prior to this date will be refunded minus the $100 non-refundable deposit. Cancellations after this date will not be refunded. There will be a 10% monthly price increase for late payments. For questions or further information, please contact us at (847) 926-9898, or email mya@mya.org.

Chicago Jazz Workshop

MYAC’s Chicago Jazz Workshop is a place for young musicians who love jazz: players who are new to jazz and improvisation are welcome!

Students are placed in jazz combos of five to eight students, where the focus is ensemble interaction, accompaniment, and improvisation through the study of jazz standards. The ultimate goal of the workshop is to help students gain a better understanding of how to control and manipulate the musical environment.

Students entering 6th grade or above as of Fall 2026 are welcome. This includes advanced high school students and students that may be starting their journey as jazz musicians. A minimum of two years on an instrument is highly recommended. Students should know fingerings on their instrument, a minimum of three major scales, and have the ability to read music. 

The Chicago Jazz Workshop takes place at the picturesque and historic MYAC Center in Fort Sheridan at 878 Lyster Road, Highwood, IL.

2026 Dates and Times:

July 13-17Monday through Friday 9:30 AM - 3:30PM

Final Concert: Friday, July 17, at the MYAC Center (Time TBD)

This camp does not require an audition.

Sample Schedule:

9:30 - 9:50 AM Warm-up

10:00 - 11:15 AM Rehearsal

11:20 - 11:50 AM Theory/Ear Training

12:00 - 12:30 PM Lunch break (lunch not provided by MYAC)

12:30 - 1:20 PM Rehearsal (Combo)

1:30 - 2:20 PM Listening/History Class

2:30 - 3:00 PM Faculty/Clinician Performance

3:00 - 3:30 PM Clinician Masterclass

Faculty:

Drew Hansen

Emily Kuhn

2026 Summer Tuition and Refund Policy

Tuition is $813.60 and includes entrance into the Evening Jazz Ensembles.

Summer invoices will be sent out by June 1, 2026. Full payment is due two weeks before the program start date. Cancellations made prior to this date will be refunded minus the $100 non-refundable deposit. Cancellations after this date will not be refunded. There will be a 10% monthly fee for late payments.

For questions or further information, please contact us at (847) 926-9898, or email mya@mya.org.