PITTSBURGH, PA, June 02, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC) presents the 16th edition of the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival (PIJF), Co-presented by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield with support from the Joyce & George Wein Foundation, September 17 - 20, 2026, featuring the city's own iconic history along with legendary and contemporary jazz, soul, blues and more. Most performances are FREE on Liberty Avenue in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh with food trucks, a beer garden and Game Zone, plus ticketed concerts at AWAACC and partner venues.

"The August Wilson Center honors Our America250, celebrating how jazz, soul, blues, gospel and R&B have shaped our country. As the country brings the semiquincentennial into focus, we are examining broadly how these genres have influenced, not only American, but global culture," said Janis Burley, President/CEO of AWAACC and the festival's Artistic Director and founder.

"Through our Highmark Bright Blue Futures program, we are proud to support events that not only showcase the vitality and well-being of our community but also drive growth for our local economy," said Kenya T. Boswell, Senior Vice President of Community Affairs for Highmark Health and President of the Highmark Foundation.

PIJF will host two B.U.I.L.D. artist residencies, made possible with support from the Joyce and George Wein Foundation. Festival artists-in-residence are producer/vocalist/ composer Eric Roberson and the original master of mixtapes New York DJ Kid Capri. Both artists will perform their own music, as well as commissions related to jazz and the artist residency, inspired by the festival theme, Our America250.

Jazz innovators Terri Lyne Carrington, Orrin Evans, Sean Jones and more also headline the festival. PIJF honors the architects of bebop with a tribute to Thelonious Monk directed by Orrin Evans, who will also direct The Jazz Train™, a trademark event for the PIJF since 2022. Pittsburgh-based drummer, Dennis Garner leads us on a journey through the music of the late D'Angelo with special guest vocalist Cam Chambers. Hold your hats and brace yourselves for the Slang Spirituals of the torch singer extraordinaire, psych-soul artist Lady BlackBird and disco soul with a gospel vibe of Mississippi's Annie & The Caldwells. Pittsburgh-based vocalist, Anyah Nancy, New York's Hip/Hop/Jazz ensemble The Rakiem Walker Project, Cleveland's soul songstress, T. Marie & Friends, and Akron music scene standout, Nathan Paul Davis & the Admirables, show us what we can look forward to in the future of American culture-shaping music.

"THE BIG IDEA for the festival though," according to Burley, "is to honor the rhythm of our culture, the Timekeepers, the heartbeat holders of American cadence."

Beat makers Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice founder, Terri Lyne Carrington; Nate Smith, who was recently named Artistic Director of Newport Jazz Festival; and Pittsburgh-native and Hampton, VA, media personality and founder of the Hampton Road Jazz Festival, Jae Sinnett, brings a funky, rock inspired, jazz set called The Blur the Lines Project, featuring music by Jimi Hendrix, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Buddy Miles and more.

A Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to the American treasure, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, known for his signature, "Purdie Shuffle," and his contributions and back beat to thousands of American classics, from Steely Dan to Aretha Franklin to James Brown. "He is the one that MUSICIANS are excited to see on stage," says Janis Burley. Mr. Purdie's legacy spans country, blues, jazz, R&B and funk music. He has played on over 4,000 albums and worked with over 2,500 artists. Mr. Purdie will perform some of his hit songs with a band created by Dwayne Dolphin, veteran Pittsburgh-based bassist and member of Fred Wesley/James Brown's band, The New JB's.

For the fourth straight year, pianist/bandleader/composer Orrin Evans will host THE JAZZ TRAIN™, in partnership with AWAACC and Amtrak. The travel package includes round-trip train tickets from New York, Newark or Philadelphia, live jazz music during the trip, light refreshments and exciting jazz-related games and activities followed by four days of live music at the Festival. Passengers are responsible for securing the hotel and festival events of their choice.

In the month and weeks leading up to the Festival, the PIJF will collaborate with numerous community partners, including the Pittsburgh International Airport, Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh, Afro-American Music Institute, schools, universities and more. Free concerts, student jam sessions, and the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Poster Contest sponsored by Duolingo will keep the region engaged before, during, and after the big festival weekend in September.

Festival attendees can purchase single-day or full weekend VIP Passes separately or as a bundle with The Jazz Train tickets. VIP access includes priority seating for outdoor stages, access to a lounge area inside the AWAACC building, VIP-only bars and more. VIP Passes are limited, and advance booking is recommended. Tickets are available at www.pittsburghjazzfest.org.

ABOUT THE SPONSORS
The 2025 Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival is co-presented by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, with generous support from the Mellon Foundation. Additional sponsors will be announced later this spring.

Performances by PIJF's 2026 BUILD artists-in-residence, Eric Roberson and Theron Brown, are made possible by the Joyce and George Wein Foundation.

The second annual PIJF poster design competition is made possible by Duolingo.

Support for AWAACC's operations is provided by the Richard King Mellon Foundation and the Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD).

AWAACC's programming is made possible by generous support from its donors. For a complete list, visit www.awaacc.org.

ABOUT HIGHMARK INC.
An independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Highmark Inc., together with its Blue-branded affiliates, collectively comprise the third largest overall Blue Cross Blue Shield-affiliated organization in the country with nearly 8 million members in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, West Virginia, Missouri and Kansas. Its diversified businesses serve group customer and individual needs across the United States through dental insurance and other related businesses. For more information, visit www.highmark.com.

The Highmark Bright Blue Futures program's goal is to ensure healthier, brighter, stronger futures for all, and it focuses on improving access to care, quality of life, and economic resilience in the communities the enterprise serves. For more information, visit www.highmark.com/brightbluefutures.

ABOUT AUGUST WILSON AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER
The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is a nonprofit cultural organization located in Pittsburgh's cultural district that generates artistic, educational, and community initiatives that advance the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson. One of the largest cultural centers in the country focused exclusively on the African American experience and the celebration of Black culture and the African diaspora, the non-profit organization welcomes more than 100,000 visitors locally and nationally. Through year-round programming across multiple genres, such as the annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Black Bottom Film Festival, AWCommunity Days, TRUTHSayers speaker series, and rotating art exhibits in its galleries, the Center provides a platform for established and emerging artists of color whose work reflects the universal issues of identity that Wilson tackled, and which still resonate today.

For more information on programs at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center and the 16th Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, log on to www.pittsburghjazzfest.org or www.awaacc.org.

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