Jazz Music-In-Action

JazzMIA Story

Jazz has always been about connection: between musicians, generations, and communities. Since 2010, JazzMIA, formerly known as Miami Jazz Cooperative, has worked to keep that connection alive in South Florida, creating spaces where established artists, emerging musicians, students, and audiences can come together through live music.

Over the years, JazzMIA has presented more than 750 performances, with approximately half offered free to the public and the vast majority free for students. But behind every performance is something bigger than a concert. It is an opportunity for a young musician to take the stage professionally, for an experienced artist to share their craft, and for someone in the audience to discover jazz for the first time.

One of the best examples is Jazz at Jackson, our lunchtime concert series at Alamo Park on the grounds of Jackson Memorial Hospital. Now entering its 10th season, the series brings live jazz into the middle of a busy hospital campus, offering healthcare workers, patients, families, and visitors a moment to step away from their day and simply enjoy the music.

That same spirit continues through our JazzMIA Monday Night series at the Westchester Cultural Arts Center and performances throughout Miami-Dade County, where we feature some of South Florida’s leading professional musicians alongside talented student and emerging artists.

At the heart of JazzMIA is a simple belief: Miami’s next generation of musicians needs more than talent. They need opportunities. They need places to perform, experienced artists to learn from, audiences to hear them, and a community willing to support their growth.

That is why supporting JazzMIA means more than supporting a concert. It means giving emerging musicians a stage, keeping live jazz accessible to our community, supporting local artists, and investing in the future of Miami’s cultural life.

Every performance creates another opportunity. Every audience creates another connection. And every contribution helps ensure that jazz, America’s original art form, continues to grow, evolve, and have a home in Miami for generations to come.