Hernando Jazz Society

Spring Hill, FL

The Hernando Jazz Society started in 1995 when a group of retired professional musicians decided the music of the Big Band Era was worth keeping alive. They began by playing at the drummer's house in Spring Hill. When they finally went public and booked a hall that seated fewer than 100, about 150 people showed up. That was the moment they realized there was an audience, and they went looking for a bigger room. Three decades on, the Society presents monthly live jazz sessions at the Wellington Club House, 400 Wexford Boulevard in Spring Hill, just off Mariner Boulevard. Sessions run on the second Sunday of each month from September through April, with the season closing on the first Sunday in May. Showtime is 2 PM. Admission is free for members. Non-members pay $15 for a single and $25 for a couple. Season tickets covering all nine performances are $50 for individuals and $100 for couples, prorated for anyone joining after September, which makes the season ticket the obvious choice for anyone planning to attend more than three sessions. The Society is a Florida not-for-profit and a registered 501(c)(3), organized to preserve, perform, and perpetuate all forms of jazz, including swing and the Great American Songbook. Its stated purposes go beyond concerts: supporting youth music education, creating performance opportunities for musicians, producing concerts and festivals, and maintaining musical and scholarship funds. The scholarship program is the part worth highlighting. Each year the Society awards at least three scholarships toward private instrumental or voice instruction, and the 2026 program awards scholarships of $1,000. Winners perform at the May session, which makes the season finale a showcase for the students the organization has funded. The Society is affiliated with the Hernando County Fine Arts Council and is recognized by the Smithsonian Institution, appearing on its roster of national jazz societies. Officers are volunteers, currently led by President Marilyn Rosenberg. Session lineups, membership applications, and the scholarship application are published in the monthly HJS Newsletter at hernandojazzsociety.org.