An Evening of Jazz with The Julia Buckingham Group

Join us Friday, June 27th for a special concert with award-winning pianist, composer, band director, and music instructor, Julia Buckingham!

Pianist Julia Buckingham has performed a wide variety of styles on concert series and festival programs across the United States. A graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Julia credits her accomplishments to a delicate mixture of hard work, dedication, and natural ability. Noted for her perfect pitch and defined by her love of music, Julia Buckingham has been called a music prodigy since her first instructor recognized her talents at the age of four.

Julia Buckingham began making professional appearances at the age of eight. At age ten, she received a coveted invitation to perform on an instrumental recital in New York City. By eleven, she began accompanying the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Vesper Choir’s yearly performances of G.F. Handel’s Messiah. She presented her first solo recital at age twelve and showcased her talent on several local television programs throughout her teenage years. At seventeen, Julia was selected to attend the Arkansas Governor’s School where she became the first Governor’s School student to perform the piano solo to George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. The following year, she was the featured soloist for the Arkansas Youth Symphony Orchestra’s presentation of Beethoven’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in C minor, Op. 37, No. 3.

Among her numerous accomplishments, Julia is the recipient of numerous music awards including the Art Porter Scholarship, the Bing Cunningham Award, the William Gant Award, and a Northwest Arkansas Jazz Society Scholarship. In 1998, she won a nationwide talent search and was asked to perform at the 44th annual National Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana. She earned top honors in the University of Arkansas’ concerto/aria competition in the year 2000, performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466. Julia was also invited to participate in two of the University of Arkansas’ music department’s honor recitals, “The Best of the Best.” She also composed and performed a jazz selection at a Northwest Arkansas Student Composer’s Showcase in 2003.

In 2012, Julia formed her own jazz band, the Julia Buckingham Group, which had the distinct honor of opening for the legendary band, Pieces of a Dream, in August 2013, and the Yellowjackets, in 2014. In 2015, she was invited to perform on a symposium and documentary showcasing the life and works of African American classical composer, Florence B. Price, who she voiced and portrayed at the piano in the film. She was the first to perform A Day in the Life of a Washerwoman, a suite of four pieces that had been recently discovered at the late composer’s home in Chicago. From 2015 to 2018, Julia performed solo and with showbands and orchestras on luxury cruise ships. Notably, she achieved the designation of bandmaster aboard the Norwegian Epic in 2017.

Julia earned her Master of Music with an emphasis in Jazz Studies from the University of Arkansas at Monticello in 2020. She was the Music Director for two plays at the Arkansas Reparatory Theatre in 2021 – Marie and Rosetta and A Charlie Brown Christmas. Both were hugely popular and showcased Julia’s versatility as she performed a myriad of genres. She was thrilled to perform with the historic Glenn Miller Orchestra in February 2022 and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in 2025.

Apart from the myriad of awards and honors that have been earned and bestowed upon her, Julia feels most honored to be able to pass on her love for music and performance to children and young adults. She sincerely hopes to impress upon young minds the importance and beauty of music. She currently teaches at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas. 

Important Information:

Doors open at 6:00pm, and the concert will begin promptly at 7:00pm. As our events are general admission seating, please be sure to arrive early to secure your seat. Beer, wine, and concessions will be available.

Free Parking: We’re pleased to offer complimentary parking for all attendees. Simply bring your parking ticket from the library parking lot (across from the Main Library on Rock Street) or the parking deck (next to the Main Library on Rock Street) inside the theater, and our friendly box office staff will validate it for you. Validations are for paid ticket holders only.