WSU School of Music presents second annual Brazilian Jazz Festival

Multi-Grammy Award nominee Rafael Barata and the internationally acclaimed ensemble Três Mais will headline Washington State University's second annual Brazilian Jazz Festival, Oct. 18-22 on the Palouse.

Led by Assistant Professor of jazz and classical guitar César Haas, the festival returns following last year's sold-out debut. It will showcase a week of concerts, clinics, rehearsals, and talks celebrating the fusion of Brazilian and American jazz. All events are free and open to the public.

Headliners and performances

Barata, a Rio de Janeiro-born drummer recognized for his collaborations with Herbie Hancock, Kenny Barron, Eliane Elias, Rosa Passos, and Milton Nascimento, will join Três Mais for the festival's centerpiece concert at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 in WSU's Kimbrough Concert Hall. The performance will feature Três Mais with Barata alongside the WSU Jazz Big Band, Jazz Lab Band, Chamber Singers, Jazz Northwest faculty ensemble, and a combined student-faculty chamber ensemble.

The festival kicks off Oct. 18 with a public jam session at Bucer's Coffeehouse Pub in Moscow, Idaho. Additional concerts and clinics will be held throughout the week.

The festival kicks off Oct. 18 with a public jam session at Bucer's Coffeehouse Pub in Moscow, Idaho. Additional concerts and clinics will be held throughout the week, offering audiences and students multiple opportunities to engage with the visiting artists.

About the festival

Launched in 2024, the Brazilian Jazz Festival was created by Haas to promote the teaching and performance of Brazilian music in the region. The event is designed to connect international guest musicians with WSU students, faculty, and local schools.

This year, Haas brings back Três Mais, a collaborative project uniting Brazilian and American rhythm-section players. The group's core members include Haas and American bassist Wayne Moose, an award-winning big band and orchestra director. Each season, Três Mais invites a featured artist who shares its vision for cross-cultural collaboration.

Guest artists will work closely with WSU ensembles as well as middle and high school students in the Pullman-Moscow area. Through clinics, rehearsals, and workshops, participants will gain first-hand exposure to Brazilian music styles such as samba and bossa nova, integrated with American jazz traditions.

Barata, who began performing professionally at 14, has presented clinics at Berklee College of Music, USC, Brown University, and other leading institutions. His presence at WSU underscores the festival's emphasis on both world-class performance and music education.

The festival is supported by Allegro, WSU School of Music's registered student association, and the David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities. Haas was selected as a 2025-26 faculty fellow of the Pollart Center, which funds projects that expand public engagement with the arts and humanities across the university.