Columbia to Host 6th Annual Deep Dish Music Festival

Campus Communications Staff / Mar 06, 2023

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Columbia College Chicago hosts high school, community college students for music festival that celebrates numerous genres

Columbia College Chicago is looking forward to hosting high school and community college ensembles at the 6th annual Deep Dish Music Festival on March 10.  

This all-day invitational music festival brings together ensembles who play pop, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, rock, gospel, blues, and Latin music.  

“Deep Dish Music Festival is designed to reflect our department’s distinctive focus on contemporary and popular music,” Sebastian Huydts, chair of the Music department, says. “We hope to provide a dynamic festival experience for students and student ensembles that perform popular music forms across a range of contemporary music styles.” 

The day consists of performances and workshops on topics ranging from marketing and music business to preparing for college music auditions. These workshops give young musicians access to the college’s faculty, who are working professionals at the top of their fields.  

This includes Columbia’s artist-in-residence Tia Fuller who will teach this year’s Master Classes.  

Fuller is a Grammy-nominated recording artist, composer, educator, and bandleader. The saxophonist's touring credits include time as a member of Beyonce’s all-female band. 

Between classes and performances, Joseph Cerqua, Deep Dish organizer and creative director and producer in Columbia’s Music Department, hopes that the day keeps aspiring musicians busy and gives them inspiration for their art going forward. 

"Deep Dish Music Festival is unlike any other college music festival in the country,” Cerqua says. “We keep our visiting ensembles engaged the entire time that they are on campus. Visiting ensemble directors love this festival because of that.” 

And of course, no Deep Dish Music Festival would be complete without plenty of pizza from sponsor Lou Malnati’s.  

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