Jazz a la Calle

What Jazz a la Calle does

Jazz a la Calle (formally Movimiento Cultural Jazz a la Calle, JALC) is a Uruguayan non-profit civil association (Asociación Civil sin fines de lucro) founded in 2006 and headquartered in Mercedes, Soriano, Uruguay. The organization delivers jazz music education, performance programming, and community cultural activities through four interconnected programs: the Escuela JALC music school serving students from age four through adulthood, the annual Encuentro Internacional de Músicos (with the 19th edition scheduled January 9-17, 2027), Toques Mensuales monthly concerts at Teatro 28 de Febrero, and EPREIU, an online platform for university entrance preparatory studies. A weekly Radio JALC program on Radio Agraciada extends its broadcast presence. The organization serves aspiring musicians, music students preparing for UTEC's Bachelor in Jazz and Creative Music, and the general public attending free cultural events.

The business model is a hybrid community-funded structure combining public and private sponsorship with minimal direct tuition. Escuela JALC charges a 1500 UYU annual enrollment fee plus monthly tuition, while all encounter activities and concerts are provided free of charge. Revenue support is anchored by institutional partnerships with UTEC (Universidad Tecnológica del Uruguay) for academic pathway alignment, the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC), the national broadcaster SODRE for performance opportunities, Radio Agraciada for broadcast, Teatro 28 de Febrero as a performance venue, and Casa de la Cultura. The organization's human resources are contributed voluntarily, and headcount is reported in the 11-50 range across teaching faculty (Docentes in guitar, piano, percussion, vocals, and composition) and operational roles.

Distribution is multi-channel: in-person education at the Mercedes facility, free public performances at the Teatro 28 de Febrero, the EPREIU online platform extending educational reach beyond Mercedes, weekly radio broadcasts, and digital channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp). Operating geographies are concentrated in Uruguay, with international draw from visiting musicians for the annual encounter.

Name

Jazz a la Calle

Legal name

Movimiento Cultural Jazz a la Calle

Website

https://www.jazzalacalle.com.uy

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Jazz a la Calle is a Uruguayan non-profit cultural association founded in 2006 in Mercedes, providing jazz music education through its school, an annual international musicians encounter, monthly concerts, and online university entrance preparation programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Education & Cultural Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Instruction (Instrumental & Vocal) (EDAMAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Music Lessons (Instrumental) (EDAMANAA), Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC), Music Theory, Ear Training & Musicianship (EDAMANAF), Early Childhood Music Education (Ages 0–7) (EDAMANAD), Music Exam Prep & Certification (ABRSM, Trinity, RCM, AP Music Theory) (EDAMANAJ)

Keywords

• Jazz music education
• Music festival production
• Community music programs
• Music school programs
• Jazz performance series

Headquarters

HQ city

Mercedes

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorships and Donations: The nonprofit project relies on sponsorship funding from public and private companies to cover essential supplies and materials for the annual encounter. All human resources are voluntary.
2. School Tuition (Minimal): Annual enrollment fee of 1500UYU to secure a spot, plus monthly tuition from March to December based on family group. Priority given to movement members who receive discounts and benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Jazz a la Calle is a non-profit cultural movement that delivers jazz music education through its Escuela JALC school for children (from age 4), youth, and adults, and stages the annual Encuentro Internacional de Músicos (a week-long January festival) plus year-round Toques Mensuales concerts that are free and open to the public. The organization also offers the EPREIU online preparatory course for entrance to the UTEC Bachelor in Jazz and Creative Music program, and broadcasts a weekly radio program on Radio Agraciada. All in-person encounter activities are free; the music school charges a minimal annual matriculation fee (1,500 UYU) plus monthly tuition, with discounts and priority for movement members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Escuela JALC: Music school for children, youth, and adults offering instruction in instruments, auditory training, and ensemble practice
• Encuentro Internacional de Músicos
• Toques Mensuales
• EPREIU
• Radio JALC

Products and services

• Escuela JALC (Music School) In-person jazz and music school for children (from age 4), youth, and adults in Mercedes, Uruguay, offering Jazzeritos (ages 4-8) and Jazzeros programs, instrument lessons (trumpet, trombone, saxophone, guitar, piano, drums, strings, bass, voice), ear training (audioperceptiva), and ensemble practice. Designed to prepare students for the UTEC Bachelor in Jazz and Creative Music.
• Encuentro Internacional de Músicos (International Musicians Encounter) Free, week-long annual jazz festival held each January in Mercedes, Uruguay, featuring curated main-stage concerts (45-50 minute sets), street performances, clinics, workshops, and jam sessions, with technical equipment (LANEY amps, Gretsch drums, Nord and Kawai pianos) provided. Open to musicians from Uruguay and abroad, with participation handled through a project-based open call selected by an international curator panel.
• Toques Mensuales (Monthly Concerts) Free monthly concerts featuring local and international jazz musicians, hosted at Teatro 28 de Febrero and other venues in Mercedes, Uruguay. The series evolved from early jazz clinics into a regular community performance platform.
• EPREIU (Estudios Preparatorios Ingreso Universitario) Online university-entrance preparatory course in musical language and theory, designed for students (including those unable to attend classes in person) seeking entry to the UTEC Bachelor in Jazz and Creative Music program. Delivered through JALC's online platform and staffed by faculty including Prof. Florencia Cabezudo (guitar) and Leandro Ubios (guitar, ensemble, audioperceptiva).

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• MEC (Ministry of Education and Culture - Uruguay)coreOthers · 1 January 2023Government ministry providing institutional support and sponsorship for the annual encounter and educational activities.
• SODRE (Uruguay Broadcasting Organization)moderateOthers · 1 January 2023National broadcasting and cultural organization. Students have performed at SODRE venues and festival, providing prestigious performance opportunities.
• UTEC (Universidad Tecnológica)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Uruguay's Technological University for the Bachelor in Jazz and Creative Music program. JALC provides educational facilities, EPREIU preparatory courses, and hosts final community projects. The UTEC orchestra performs at JALC events, and students benefit from JALC's educational programs and performance opportunities.
• Radio AgraciadaminorOthersWeekly radio program broadcast every Wednesday featuring jazz history, current activities, and cultural education. Provides reach to broader audience beyond physical event attendance.
• Teatro 28 de FebreromoderateOthersLocal theater in Mercedes that hosts monthly concerts and special performances. Primary venue for Toques Mensuales and International Jazz Day celebrations.
• Casa de la Cultura (Mercedes)moderateOthersCultural venue used for clinics and educational workshops during the annual encounter. Partner in providing educational programming.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SFJAZZ: SFJAZZ is a San Francisco-based nonprofit that runs a jazz education program, a year-round concert series, and a major annual festival. Like Jazz a la Calle, it combines free/low-cost music education, recurring live performances, and a flagship festival anchored by community sponsorship — making it the closest structural analog.
• Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz: The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz (formerly Thelonious Monk Institute) is a nonprofit focused on jazz education, college-level programs, and international competitions. It mirrors JALC's education-first mission and partnership-driven university pipeline, though it operates at a national/international scale.
• Monterey Jazz Festival: Monterey Jazz Festival is one of the longest-running jazz festivals in the world and runs an associated jazz education program. Its combination of an annual international encounter, year-round education, and community nonprofit governance closely parallels Jazz a la Calle's structure.
• Escuela Departamental de Música de Paysandú: This Uruguayan regional music school in Paysandú is explicitly referenced as employing JALC teachers and is a comparable provider of departmental-level music instruction in Uruguay's interior, making it a direct domestic peer.

Broad incumbents

• Jazz at Lincoln Center: Jazz at Lincoln Center is a large nonprofit operating jazz performances, education, and advocacy out of a flagship venue in New York. It is comparable to JALC as a nonprofit jazz organization running concerts plus education, but operates at vastly greater scale and as part of a broader portfolio of programs.
• Conservatorio de Música de Uruguay (Escuela Universitaria de Música): Uruguay's Escuela Universitaria de Música is the country's main tertiary music institution. Several JALC teachers studied there, and it represents the formal academic counterpart to JALC's pre-university EPREIU and community music school.
• Berklee College of Music: Berklee is the world's largest dedicated contemporary music school, with online and international programs. It is a broad incumbent in jazz/music education that overlaps with JALC's instructional mission, though it operates as a degree-granting institution rather than a nonprofit community movement.

Regional players

• Umbria Jazz: Umbria Jazz is an internationally recognized jazz festival in Italy with associated educational workshops. It is comparable to JALC's annual International Encounter as a multi-day, community-facing jazz event, though it operates at much larger scale and in a different geography.
• North Sea Jazz Festival: North Sea Jazz is one of the world's largest indoor jazz festivals held annually in Rotterdam. It is structurally analogous to JALC's Encunetro Internacional as a marquee jazz gathering drawing international musicians, but does not embed a year-round music school.

Others

• UTEC — Bachelor in Jazz and Creative Music: UTEC's jazz degree is the tertiary program that JALC feeds into via EPREIU and partnership. It is not a competitor but the closest ecosystem partner — a comparable jazz education provider in Uruguay and the destination for many of JALC's preparatory students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@JazzalaCalleoficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/JazzalaCalle.Uruguay
• Instagraminstagram.com/jazzalacalle
• Xx.com/JazzalaCalleOK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jazzalacalle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jazz a la Calle