Celebrating 100 Years - The West Chester University Criterions Jazz Ensemble (WCU) (MONTCO Jazz Fest)

In the 1926-27 season, a new dance band was formed on West Chester's campus. Bringing the best of the best together, it was labeled as the criterion. In the fall of 2026, we will celebrate 100 years of the Criterions, the longest running band of its kind in the United States. We are honored to usher the Criterions into their second century, expanding their impact in the community and for our students.  www.wcupa.edu/music/criterions Jonathan Ragonese, composer-arranger-saxophonist, is the Director of Jazz Studies and Saxophone Professor at the Wells School of Music at West Chester University. As a saxophonist he has performed and recorded with a wide array of musicians including Steve Wilson, David Liebman, Jon Faddis, The Sirius Quartet, the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, Tim Warfield, Tin Can Buddha and Steve Rudolph. As a composer his works have been commissioned and premiered by The New York Film Festival, saxophonist Steve Wilson, Jazz…