Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts hosted the annual 6th and Jazz educational program this week. Over 15,000 students from Orange County Public Schools and Osceola County Public Schools were attending the immersive 55-minute show between February 24-28, 2025, in Walt Disney Theater.
The 6th and Jazz program is an interactive performance that focuses on highlighting the history of jazz and its influence on modern music. Through recordings and live renditions of compositions, students learn about jazz legends Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie.
“What started as a fun and meaningful way to teach sixth graders about jazz has grown into one of our most impactful education programs these past nine years,” said Kathy Ramsberger, president and CEO of Dr. Phillips Center. “6th and Jazz delivers an interactive experience that ignites young people’s passion for music, while reaffirming our promise to inspiring and providing Arts For Every Life.”
In collaboration with Nolan Williams Jr. and NEWorks Productions, the program was designed with the goal of creating a unique learning experience outside the classroom. Williams hosts and conducts the program along with the arts center’s Jazz Orchestra in the 2,700-seat Walt Disney Theater.
“From the time the students walk into the auditorium, we are actively engaging them in the process of music making,” said Nolan Williams Jr., 6th and Jazz creative director. “They aren’t just coming to observe, they are coming to fully participate in the performance experience.”
Through educational techniques on a live stage, students are taken on a journey filled with tunes, improvisation, audience interaction and dancing. In the last nine years, the 6th and Jazz program has reached over 220,000 students.
This year’s Dr. Phillips Center 6th and Jazz program is generously supported by: AdventHealth, Chick-Fil-A Greater Orlando Area, Experience Kissimmee, Fifth Third Bank, McGriff Insurance, Jacarlene Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Greta C. & Sean M. Stephens Family, and the Yuska Family.
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is a private nonprofit organization in downtown Orlando, Florida. The arts center produces, presents and serves as home to regional, national and international works and co-presents Broadway in Orlando. This year, the arts center celebrates its 10th Anniversary, hosting 6,500+ performances and events, welcoming 4.7 million+ guests and contributing over $21.7 million to purpose and community since opening in November 2014. The arts center features renowned venues such as the Walt Disney Theater, Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater, and the acclaimed Steinmetz Hall, recognized among Architectural Digest’s 11 most beautiful theaters worldwide. Judson’s Live, the new live music room, enhances the arts center alongside established venues such as the DeVos Family Room, Rooftop Terrace and Seneff Arts Plaza. Additionally, the AdventHealth School of Arts offers year-round performing arts education.
