40 years in the making
Since 1986, Sunshine Jazz Organization has worked to make sure jazz has a place to be heard, learned, shared and passed on.
What started with a love for the music and a commitment to South Florida’s jazz community has grown into decades of concerts, workshops, educational programs and opportunities for both emerging and established artists. Along the way, SJO has helped preserve the stories and sounds of jazz while creating spaces for new generations to experience it for themselves.
This 40th anniversary is more than a milestone. It’s a celebration of the musicians who have taken the stage, the audiences who have filled the room, the supporters who have kept the music going and the community that has been part of SJO’s story from the beginning.
featured performance
Leesa Richards Sings The Legendary Women of Jazz
Leesa Richards grew up in music-rich Detroit and started showing an inclination towards the arts at an early age. Ms. Richards began honing her vocal chops with soul greats Gerald Austin and Peabo Bryson and contemporary soul maverick Dionne Farris.
As a part of Miami’s vibrant music scene, singer/songwriter Leesa Richards is helping to shape and define its evolving sound. She has performed with a slate of powerhouse artists including Faith Hill, The Bee Gees, Kelly Clarkson, Gloria Estefan, and Carole King, and recorded with Barbra Streisand and Lenny Kravitz, among other artists.
Featuring The New Canon Chamber Collective
conducted by Waldron Dunkley
Waldron E. Dunkley II is a Florida-based performer, composer, educator and multi-instrumentalist with roots in both the Bahamian and Jamaican communities. He earned degrees in jazz performance from Broward College and Florida State University, where he later taught jazz history and directed the Jazz Chamber and Jazz Repertoire ensembles.
Throughout his career, Dunkley has balanced performance with education and mentorship, using music as a way to give back to the community and help develop the next generation of musicians.
New Canon Chamber Collective is a
South Florida-based ensemble founded in 2021 to amplify the work of Black and Brown composers and create more equitable performance opportunities for Black and Brown classical musicians. Through concerts, community engagement and projects, the Collective uses classical music as a platform for representation, connection and cultural storytelling.
The Next Generation Takes the Stage
As part of SJO’s 40th anniversary celebration, the winner of the China Valles Next Gen Jazz Scholarship Competition will receive a $2,000 scholarship and the opportunity to open the anniversary concert. Open to high school juniors and seniors in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Support the Celebration & Continue the legacy
Forty years of music is something worth celebrating, and there are several ways to be part of what comes next. Make a gift through SJO’s 40 for 40 campaign or support the anniversary celebration as a sponsor.
Give $40, $400, $4,000 or an amount that’s meaningful to you.