Internationally renowned jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson once said, “Change is always happening. That’s the wonderful thing about jazz music.” But for the Vail Jazz Foundation, an organization-altering change forced the Vail-based nonprofit to shut down the bulk of its operations in late October after 29 years.
The seismic shift? The passing of beloved founder Howard Stone, who died on Aug. 3, 2022, from post-surgical complications. Stone’s passing left a huge void, and his deep fundraising reach and managerial acumen have left the foundation with a substantial financial burden.
“When Howard died in the summer of 2022, we knew that replacing him would tax the organization on many levels. However, the staff rose to the occasion and in 2023 pulled off a terrific summer festival, workshop and Labor Day Party,” said Sarah Valente, the vice president of the foundation’s board.
“It wasn’t until we started to reconcile the revenue and expenses in September that the gravity of our challenges began to come to light. After many discussions and an in-depth planning session, the Vail Jazz board voted on Oct. 23 to suspend operations,” Valente said.
Stone was passionate about jazz and about Vail and started the first Vail Jazz Party in 1995. He launched the Vail Jazz Foundation the following year. Over time, the festival grew and so did the relationships that were forged here, with many jazz artists and patrons returning year after year. Howard and his wife, Cathy, would welcome everyone back each summer.
“It has been an incredibly emotional decision and one we wish we did not have to make,” Valente said. “Although very disappointed, Cathy Stone understands the difficulties we faced without Howard.”
The mission of the Vail Jazz Foundation wasn’t just to bring great jazz musicians to Vail each year. Stone also wanted to share his beloved art form with many audiences, including the next generation. The Vail Jazz Workshop invited the top high school jazz players to the valley each summer for 10 days of personalized instruction with some of jazz music’s biggest stars.
Clayton, a co-founder and director of education of the Vail Jazz Workshop, spoke to each of the Vail Jazz Workshop instructors about the foundation shutting down.
“They were saddened and somber. Several of them have expressed an interest in relaunching the Vail Jazz Workshop at some point in time, should the possibility present itself,” Valente said.
The other educational arm of the Vail Jazz Foundation was the Vail Jazz Goes to School program, which exposed hundreds of Eagle County elementary school children to the art form of jazz for more than 25 years. Valente said that program will continue at least through the 2023-2024 academic year.
Stone’s passing isn’t the only obstacle standing in the way of Vail Jazz’s future, and Valente pointed out that these are very hard times for arts organizations across the country.
“Audiences have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, inflation has had a negative impact on every aspect of our business, and finding steady venues we can afford and rely upon has become challenging,” Valente said. Another challenge the Vail Jazz Foundation faced was recruiting and retaining staff who could afford to live in the Vail Valley.
“Taken together, it was very apparent that the long-standing Vail Jazz business model was no longer tenable,” Valente said. “The decision to close was in no way easy, but it was clear to the Vail Jazz board that this was the only responsible option.”
Mia Vlaar, economic development director for the town of Vail, said, “Vail Jazz provided live musical performances that complemented the classical, rock, bluegrass and acoustic concerts in Vail. The town will miss this fabulous festival and is committed to continuing to offer diverse musical experiences.”
