DANBURY, CONN. — Music lovers have come to expect great things from Western Connecticut State University’s annual jazz festival, and this year will prove to be no exception. The 2010 WCSU Jazz Fest will include three evening concerts in Ives Concert Hall in White Hall on the university’s Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury, and feature jazz greats David Liebman and Maria Schneider.

Jamie Begian, director of Jazz Studies at WestConn, said this year’s line-up is something for his students and jazz lovers alike to be excited about.

“Having guest artists the stature of Dave Liebman and Maria Schneider visit our campus to work with our students is a tremendous coup for both the music department and the university,” Begian said. “Both of these artists represent the absolute pinnacle of artistry, professionalism and pure creative energy that exists in the music world today, and having our students experience both Dave’s and Maria’s passion ‘up close and personal’ is something that will last a lifetime.”

The festival will begin with a performance by the WCSU jazz faculty at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 29. Admission will be free and open to the public.

The WCSU Jazz Orchestra will perform with the David Liebman Quartet at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 30. Tickets will be $15 for adults, and $10 for senior citizens and non-WestConn students who are not participating in the festival.

Liebman’s career spans more than four decades, during which he has played saxophone with many jazz masters, including Miles Davis, Elvin Jones, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin and McCoy Tyner. Liebman, who founded the International Association of Schools of Jazz, has been a multiple Grammy nominee and was inducted into the International Association of Jazz Educator’s Hall of Fame. He has consistently been a top finalist in the Soprano Saxophone category in the Downbeat Critics Poll since 1973 and has to his credit more than 100 recordings as a leader/co-leader, including several hundred original compositions.

At 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 1, the Maria Schneider Orchestra will perform. Ticket prices will be $25 for adults, and $15 for senior citizens and non-WestConn students who are not participating in the festival.

Schneider, who studied at the University of Minnesota, the University of Miami and the Eastman School of Music, was one of the first artists to use ArtistShare, a fan-funded Internet platform, to produce an album. Her 2004 effort, “Concert in the Garden,” was the first Grammy Award-winning recording sold solely via the Internet. The Jazz Journalists Association named “Concert in the Garden” Jazz Album of the Year. The organization also named Schneider Composer of the Year and Arranger of the Year, and honored her group with the award for Large Jazz Ensemble of the Year.

Schneider studied under Bob Brookmeyer and Gil Evans, working on various projects with Evans, including the films “The Color of Money” and “Absolute Beginners.” Her discography includes: Evanescence (1994), Coming About (1995), Live At The Jazz Standard — Days Of Wine And Roses (2000), Allegresse (2000), Concert in the Garden (2004) and Sky Blue (2007).

To purchase tickets, call (203) 837-8499 or visit www.wcsu.edu/tickets. For more information, call the music department at (203) 837-8350.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.