All that Jazz

Austin chamber + jazz org announces 2026-27 season with first jazz fest

Joshua Redman Quartet at a past ATX Music event.

Photo courtesy of Joshua Redman Quartet

Austin is getting a new jazz festival next spring. ATX Chamber Music and Jazz (ATX Music), which also just announced its 2026-2027 season schedule, is ramping up planning for ATX Jazz Fest from April 2-4, 2027. The musical organization has teased some information about the festival on social media and events calendars, but now it's officially getting the word out.

ATX Chamber Music and Jazz is an organization that curates shows at a number of venues around town, though it also has its own chamber music collective, Ensemble ATX. The upcoming season is the organization's fourth, and according to a press release, it's "most ambitious undertaking yet."

The inaugural ATX Jazz Fest will include more than 29 hours of live music over its three days, on multiple stages at Moody Amphitheater and Assembly Hall. It is not Austin's first jazz festival, but it does promise to be "the most concentrated gathering of jazz talent ever assembled in Texas." Given its breadth, it's easy to see how this will become the city's main jazz event, even considering other flashes in the pan like South by Southwest and occasional notable showcases.

The lineup inlcudes:

Brad Mehldau
Christian McBride Big Band
Cécile McLorin Salvant
Jason Moran
Joe Lovano
Chris Potter
Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles
Terence Blanchard & the E-Collective
Joe Locke
Sullivan Fortner
Emmet Cohen
Bria Skonberg
Nicole Zuraitis
Alfredo Rodríguez & Pedrito Martinez

The regular season runs from September 12, 2026, to May 15, 2027. It brings together well-established artists with notable awards as well as emerging musicians from across the state, and more, including international acts.

In addition to more shows at Moody Amphitheater and Assembly Hall, shows will also be held at The Mansion Austin (home to the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs), the Music Box (a creative mansion), and the Kodosky Manor (a Spanish-style villa). ATX Music aims to create social connections through the use of these unique settings.

Regular season events are as follows:

September 12, 2026 — Stefan Jackiw and Ensemble ATX — The Mansion (Tex-Fed)
September 25, 2026 — Fred Hersch Solo Piano — Music Box
September 26, 2026 — Fred Hersch Trio — Assembly Hall
October 23, 2026 — Nadine Sierra: An Evening of Song — The Mansion (Tex-Fed)
November 20, 2026 — Daniil Trifonov: A Solo Piano Recital — The Mansion (Tex-Fed)
January 23, 2027 — Musical Mixology with Ensemble ATX — The Mansion (Tex-Fed)
February 19, 2027 — Sir Stephen Hough: A Solo Piano Recital — Kodosky Manor
February 20, 2027 — Sir Stephen Hough with Ensemble ATX — The Mansion (Tex-Fed)
April 2–4, 2027 — Inaugural ATX Jazz Fest — Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park and Assembly Hall
May 15, 2027 — Marmen Quartet and Anna Petrova — The Mansion (Tex-Fed)

"What has been most rewarding since we began is seeing how enthusiastically Austin audiences have embraced what we're building," said ATX Music co-artistic director Geoffrey Herd in the release. "This season reflects that momentum. By bringing together extraordinary artists from around the world alongside Austin's own creative community — and adding the inaugural ATX Jazz Fest — we hope to welcome new audiences from across the country while contributing to Austin's growing cultural profile."

Outside of the regular season, ATX Music will engage musicians with local restaurants, galleries, cultural organizations, and more for partnerships. It'll also continue its education initiative, Everyone Deserves Art, to bring artists to Title I schools and distribute around 800 tickets for season performances to students and chaperones.

"Whether guests are sharing a meal, discovering the work of a local visual artist, attending a cocktail masterclass, or meeting the musicians after a performance, every event is designed to create lasting connections," said co-artistic director Anna Petrova. "We want audiences to experience world-class artistry in a way that feels welcoming, intimate, and deeply human."

Passes to ATX Jazz Fest, plus regular season tickets and subscriptions, are on sale at atxmusic.com.

classical music jazz festivals

One Stitch at a Time

Austin sewing studio launches monthly giveaway to get new students started

Stitch Lab co-founder and instructor Eric Lugo teaching a workshop

Photo courtesy of Stitch Lab

Rather than waiting for a sponsor, Stitch Lab co-founder Eric Lugo is putting beginner kits together himself to invite more people into the community.

A new monthly initiative is helping Austinites learn to sew with fewer financial barriers. Stitch Lab, a local organization that hosts workshops and open studio time, is launching a recurring giveaway called Sew It Forward to get winners started with their own sewing machine and more.

The first round of entries for Sew It Forward are open now through 11:59 pm on August 16. A winner will be chosen August 17. The giveaway includes a new beginner sewing machine, a Stitch Lab Starter Kit containing other sewing tools, and one free sewing class for beginners at the studio.

Stitch Lab sewing machine and tools This setup will go to the next giveaway winner.Photo courtesy of Stitch Lab

To enter, users will have to follow Stitch Lab on Instagram, like the post announcing the current giveaway, share the post to their story with a tag back to Stitch Lab, and write a comment about why they want to learn to sew. Stitch Lab founder Eric Lugo confirms in an email to CultureMap that winners are chosen at random, not based on the strength of their comment.

"I wanted to keep it simple, fair, and focused on people who genuinely want to start their sewing journey," Lugo says.

With more than 60 comments so far, this month's post is full of sewing inspiration and reminders of why this skill that's sometimes presented as old-fashioned is still important. Commenters have mentioned difficulty in finding clothes that fit, wanting to save money, valuing upcycling and buying less, and the simple desire to have a new hobby. Multiple commenters mentioned wanting to make clothes for their dogs, so look out for a more sharply dressed pups around Austin as the initiative progresses.

Stitch Lab student at workshop An inside look at a Stitch Lab workshop.Photo courtesy of Stitch Lab

Lugo explains that Sew It Forward was born from a desire to support people in the same way they've supported the business so far. There is no sponsor; Lugo plans to purchase the machines himself. He also makes the starter kit himself and is an instructor at Stitch Lab. He says he'd like to expand the initiative to include partners in the future, but he didn't want to put off the idea while waiting for others to get onboard.

"Teaching so many beginners has also shown me that wanting to learn how to sew and actually having access to learning are two completely different things," Lugo says. "A sewing machine is an investment. Then you need tools and supplies, and even after you have all of that, you still have to figure out where to begin. I wanted Sew It Forward to help remove as many of those barriers as possible."

In committing to a monthly giveaway, Lugo is making sure the studio stays involved in giving back. The studio is for everyone, whether they're experienced at sewing or they've never tried it. He says the community aspect is important, and he wants visitors to feel at home.

Stitch Lab students at Casa de Luz workshop This group made flower totes at a recurring workshop at Casa de Luz.Photo courtesy of Stitch Lab

"Sewing can feel intimidating or inaccessible from the outside, and a big part of what we do is break that down. You don’t have to be a designer, you don’t have to be 'creative enough,' and you don’t need any experience to start," says Lugo. "We’re here to make sewing approachable, fun, and something people can actually see themselves doing. Everyone starts with one stitch."

Stitch Lab is located at 4020 S. Industrial Dr., Ste. 170. Current classes on the Stitch Lab schedule ($65-85) are all two and a half hours and cover things like a general crash course, hemming, flipping thrift store finds, and making tote bags for carrying flower bouquets.

arts mending sewing design sustainability thrift shopping