John Clayton

Artistic Consultant

John Clayton joins the Vail Jazz team to bring quality musical entertainment to the  Vail Jazz Party, while continuing to lead the Vail Jazz Workshop. All planned programming will continue under John’s direction, while he helps guide Vail Jazz in securing a long-term permanent solution to this role.

John has directed the Workshop since its inception in 1996 and has been a major creative and educational force for the over 300 graduates. The Grammy winner and eight-time Grammy nominee is a devoted educator, and currently serves as president of the International Bassists Society, Artistic Director of the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, Sarasota Jazz Festival and Centrum Jazz Workshop, and teaches at USC’s Thornton School of Music.

Anneliese Swift

Executive Director

Anneliese was first introduced to the Vail Jazz Foundation when Tony G. rolled a piano into her elementary classroom for Vail Jazz Goes to School. That formative experience sparked a lifelong appreciation for jazz and its ability to bring people together.

A Vail Valley native, Anneliese brings both a local’s insight and a global perspective to her leadership at the Foundation. Her background in communications, customer relations, and event management, combined with years of experience in the hospitality industry, has equipped her with the skills to strengthen community connections and advance the organization’s mission.

Anneliese is dedicated to expanding Vail Jazz’s impact through education, performance, and cultural enrichment. She is especially passionate about fostering meaningful relationships with donors, artists, and audiences to ensure the organization’s legacy for generations to come.

When not working, Anneliese enjoys skiing the slopes of her hometown, traveling, and, most of all, sharing in the joy of live music with the community she proudly serves.

Howard Stone, In Memoriam

Founder, Artistic Director

Howard Stone was the President and Artistic Director of Vail Jazz from its inception in 1994 until his passing in 2022.

A life-long jazz fan, Howard loved the music as much as he loved the Colorado lifestyle – the Vail Jazz Foundation sprung to life when he merged his two passions

Howard’s initial foray into what would become Vail Jazz began with the first Vail Jazz Party. His idea was to carry on a Colorado tradition of presenting great jazz in a unique ‘party’ format over Labor Day weekend. Following the success of the first Vail Jazz Party, Howard dreamed bigger and created the Vail Jazz Foundation, an organization dedicated to the perpetuation of jazz music with an emphasis on young musicians and young audiences. 

Today, jazz lovers in Vail and beyond are the beneficiaries of Howard’s vision, which manifests itself in an annual summer-long festival, which spans nine weeks and entertains over 50,000 people; the Vail Jazz Workshop, which has contributed to the musicianship of over 300 outstanding young jazz musicians; a school program that has educated over 20,000 students in Eagle County elementary schools; as well as soirées, a winter series, and free community concerts.