Jazz Festival Renamed to Honor Educator, Musician

The Geoff West Jazz Fest honors the brass musician and former instructor by building connections between student performers from Anoka-Ramsey and area high schools and seasoned professionals.

Musicians gather at Anoka-Ramsey’s Coon Rapids Campus for a day of performances, workshops and community engagement. In 2026, the festival welcomed the Minnesota Youth Jazz Bands’ Jazz 1.

“The Anoka-Ramsey Geoff West Jazz Fest is such a fun and positive event where our music faculty has the opportunity to help our own students as well as hundreds of visiting high school students grow as jazz musicians through clinics, masterclasses, and concerts,” says Anoka-Ramsey Music faculty member Sam Bergstrom. “Geoff started this event as a way to reach out to local high school jazz programs in an effort to make our college more visible and offer a positive and educational experience for everyone attending. We look forward to honoring Geoff’s impact for many years to come.”

This feature appeared in the 2025 Anoka-Ramsey Community Newsletter. Visit our newsletter page to read all stories from the issue and see an archive of past issues.