The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance bid its latest class a fond farewell as the group of seven students formally graduated from the program, concluding two years of intensive study with some of the world’s greatest jazz masters.
In a ceremony on UCLA’s Dickson Court Plaza, Luca Alemanno (bass, Italy), Anthony Fung (drums, Canada), Alex Hahn (alto saxophone, USA), Jon Hatamiya (trombone, USA), Julio Maza (tenor saxophone, Peru), Simon Moullier (vibraphone, France) and Glenn Tucker (piano, USA) received their masters certificates from the Herb Alpert School of Music, where the Institute of Jazz Performance has been in residence since 2012. UCLA alumna and musicologist Judith Finell delivered featured remarks.
Program Manager Lindsey Kunisaki with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance Class of 2018 on graduation day, June 15: (from left) Julio Maza, Alex Hahn, Jon Hatamiya, Glenn Tucker, Luca Alemanno, Anthony Fung and Simon Moullier.
Over the course of their time in the program, the students received wide-ranging instruction from renowned artists including Institute Chairman Herbie Hancock, pianist Billy Childs, saxophonists Jimmy Heath, Dick Oatts and Jerry Bergonzi, vibraphonist Steve Nelson and bassist Bob Hurst, among others. In addition, visiting industry veterans like Don Was, Denny Stilwell, Mike D’Errico and Karen Kennedy provided regular insights into the music business, recording techniques and artist management.
(From left) Alex Hahn, Jon Hatamiya, Anthony Fung, Luca Alemanno, Julio Maza and Simon Moullier at the International Jazz Day 2018 festivities in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Photo: Steve Mundinger
As part of their role as ambassadors for the Institute, the Class of 2018 worked with communities in Los Angeles, across the United States and around the world, performing and conducting master classes both at local high schools and on behalf of the Institute in Arizona, Alaska, Panama, Cuba and most recently at the International Jazz Day 2018 festivities in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The students also served as fixtures on the UCLA and LA music scenes, performing regularly at LA jazz hot spot blue whale, now one of the top jazz clubs on the West Coast, and expanding intradepartmental collaboration at the Herb Alpert School of Music through participation in guest lectures and performances exploring the ethnic musics of the Balkans, Thailand, India, Mexico and more.
The Institute thanks Luca, Anthony, Alex, Jon, Julio, Simon and Glenn for their exemplary commitment to the program over the past two years, and wishes them the best of luck as they embark on the next stage of their promising careers.
The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance Ensemble will conclude its monthly feature at Los Angeles jazz spot blue whale on Tuesday, June 3. The group will kick things off at 9 pm (doors open at 8 pm) with an hour-long set of standards and originals, followed by a jam session open to all. Instrumentalists and vocalists are welcome. This is the last jam session before the Class of 2018 complete their studies at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music in June 2018!
The Institute’s college program has been a consistent presence at blue whale since establishing itself at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music in 2012. Both current students and recent graduates are a familiar sight in the intimate club, whether as headliners, side-players—or even just listeners.
The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance Class of 2018
Opened in 2009 by jazz vocalist Joon Lee, blue whale is still in its first decade, yet has garnered widespread recognition. NPR calls it “a jazz hub” and “the definitive room for hip, progressive, youthful jazz.” With a varied billing that includes a litany of up-and-coming Los Angeles-area musicians as well as established acts like Jane Monheit, Jason Marsalis, Gerald Clayton and Steve Coleman, the venue is making its mark as LA’s jazz hot spot.
Performance is a critical component of any jazz education program. Students from the Institute’s Washington, D.C. Jazz in the Classroom program had the opportunity to do just that on Monday as part of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ annual DCPS Music Festival.
Duke Ellington School of the Arts Director of Jazz Studies Davey Yarborough leads the student jazz ensemble in a performance as part of the DCPS Music Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Photo: Jonathan Bartlett.
Jazz ensembles from Woodrow Wilson High School and the Duke Ellington School for the Performing Arts performed for audiences consisting of peers from other public schools throughout the district, as well as the public. Applying lessons in improvisation and group dynamics gleaned from work with Institute clinicians throughout the school year, each band played a short set of 15 minutes, featuring interpretations of jazz standards like “Nardis” and “Frankie and Johnny” as well as funk classics like “Cut the Cake.”
Local news outlet WAMU reported that more than 3,000 students from 30 schools participated in the event, which aims to give the young musicians the valuable experience of playing for a live audience in the nation’s performing arts center.
International Jazz Day 2018 came to a phenomenal close this evening in St. Petersburg, following an extraordinary All-Star Global Concert at the historic Mariinsky Theatre that capped off several days of educational outreach programs across the city. The concert, led by artistic co-directors Herbie Hancock (USA) and Igor Butman (Russia), was streamed live by the United Nations and UNESCO and on jazzday.com.
Leading up to the All-Start Global Concert, St. Petersburg hosted a wide array of programming including master classes and workshops with Oleg Butman and Lee Ritenour; panel discussions exploring Jazz and Peace, Women in Jazz and Jazz and Roots Music; and jam sessions with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance Fellows.
Earlier in the week, the International Jazz Day festivities kicked off in New Orleans with an International Jazz Day Salute to New Orleans concert at the historic Orpheum Theater. Thousands attended this free concert commemorating the 300th anniversary of the founding of New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz. The show opened with an only-in-New Orleans second line fronted by the Preservation Hall All-Stars and featured performances by Herbie Hancock along with Patti Austin, Philip Bailey, Bilal, Terence Blanchard, Jon Cleary, Ledisi, Quiana Lynell, Herlin Riley and many others.
The International Jazz Day 2018 weekend gets off to a strong start on April 27 at 10 pm / 9 pm central with a special PBS broadcast of “International Jazz Day from Cuba.” The program features performances by more than 50 world-renowned artists, including Institute Chairman Herbie Hancock, Chucho Valdés, Esperanza Spalding, Marcus Miller, Kenny Garrett, College Program Class of 2009 graduate Ambrose Akinmusire, Antonio Sánchez, 2009 Bass Competition Winner Ben Williams, Roberto Fonseca, Regina Carter, Music Director John Beasley and many more.
The concert, which marked the culmination of International Jazz Day 2017 in Havana, Cuba, highlights one of the largest ever assemblages of Cuban and American artists on a single stage. The program’s many historic moments include a first-time collaboration between bassist Esperanza Spalding and Cuban music legend Bobby Carcassés, and stellar emceeing from host Will Smith and music legend Quincy Jones.
PBS will air “International Jazz Day from Cuba” as part of the kickoff to the International Jazz Day 2018 weekend, with thousands of partners in more than 190 countries worldwide organizing parallel events in their own communities. Other highlights from the weekend include the highly anticipated All-Star Global Concert from the historic Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, and the global webcast of the “International Jazz Day Salute to New Orleans,” both on April 30. The Saint Petersburg webcast will begin at 4 pm ET, with the New Orleans show being released immediately following, at 7 pm ET.
The April 22, 2018 “International Jazz Day Salute to New Orleans” was a rousing success. A stormy forecast did nothing to dampen the spirits of the more than 1,000 people who packed the historic Orpheum Theatre to see Institute Chairman Herbie Hancock and renowned New Orleans Trumpeter Terence Blanchard lead an all-star tribute to the Crescent City’s 300th birthday. Participating artists included Patti Austin, Ledisi, Philip Bailey, the Preservation All-Stars and more. Check out some great photos from the event, which was made possible thanks to the generous support of Toyota.
For all those who were unable to catch the New Orleans concert in person, the full show will be made available online on April 30, 2018 (time to be announced).
Paris, Washington, D.C. April 9, 2018 —The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock today announced the programme for the 2018 edition of International Jazz Day, with events in Saint Petersburg (Russian Federation), this year’s Global Host City, and over 190 countries around the world.
A series of educational and outreach programmes will take place in the Global Host City, where the Day will culminate in an extraordinary all-star concert at the historic Mariinsky Theatre, an event which will be streamed live worldwide. Partners on the seven continents will celebrate jazz as a universal language of peace on International Jazz Day, celebrated every year on 30 April.
Iconic jazz pianist Herbie Hancock (USA) and renowned saxophonist Igor Butman (Russia) will serve as artistic co-directors of the all-star concert and John Beasley (USA) will serve as the evening’s musical director. The concert will feature performances by an international roster of artists including Oleg Akkuratov (Russia), Till Brönner (Germany), Oleg Butman (Russia), Terri Lyne Carrington (USA), Fatoumata Diawara (Côte d’Ivoire), Joey DeFrancesco (USA), Vadim Eilenkrig (Russia), Kurt Elling (USA), Antonio Faraò (Italy), James Genus (USA), Robert Glasper (USA), David Goloschyokin (Russia), Hassan Hakmoun (Morocco), Gilad Hekselman (Israel), Horacio Hernandez (Cuba), Taku Hirano (Japan), Anatoly Kroll (Russia), Gaoyang Li (China), Rudresh Mahanthappa (USA), The Manhattan Transfer (USA), Branford Marsalis (USA), James Morrison (Australia), Moscow Jazz Orchestra (Russia), Makoto Ozone (Japan), Danilo Pérez (Panama), Dianne Reeves (USA), Lee Ritenour (USA), Luciana Souza (Brazil) and Ben Williams (USA), among others.
The cast of the 2018 International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert.
Igor Butman supported the bid of Saint Petersburg to become the International Jazz Day 2018 Global Host and the city will offer the public a rich programme of concerts, lectures, workshops and discussions with high-profile musicians free of charge on 29 and 30 April.
Jazz has been played in Saint Petersburg since 1927, when Russia’s First Concert Jazz Band was founded, at the Saint Petersburg State Capella, followed by the creation of the first jazz collective in 1929. It is also the only city in Russia to have a Jazz Philharmonic Hall, founded in 1989.
Celebrations will also take place in other cities across the Russian Federation and in more than 190 countries worldwide to mark the Day, which was established by UNESCO in coordination with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in 2011, recognizing the role of jazz in promoting freedom, creativity and intercultural dialogue, uniting people from all corners of the globe.
New Orleans (Louisiana, USA)
On 22 April, a special concert will commemorate the 300th anniversary of the founding of New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, in the city’s historic Congo Square. This will start the official countdown to International Jazz Day, kicking off a series of education programmes throughout New Orleans public schools and around the world. The concert will be streamed on 30 April, International Jazz Day, as the lead-up to the live streaming of the All-Star Global Concert from Saint Petersburg.
Attendees at the inaugural International Jazz Day concert in Congo Square in 2012
The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz is once again working with UNESCO and its field offices, National Commissions, Associated Schools Network, universities and institutes, public radio and television broadcasters, and NGOs to secure their participation in International Jazz Day. Additionally, in countries throughout the world, libraries, schools, universities, performing arts venues, community centres, artists, and arts organizations of all disciplines will be celebrating the Day through presentations, concerts, and other jazz-focused programmes.
International Jazz Day programming has been made possible thanks to the support of 2018 lead partner, Toyota, whose vision and generosity contribute to the celebration’s tangible impact in communities around the globe.
As previously announced, Sydney, Australia, will serve as the Global Host City of International Jazz Day 2019 and next year’s All-Star Global Concert will be performed in the iconic Sydney Opera House, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Press: please contact Alisse Kingsley at + 1 323 467 8508 or press@jazzday.com / Laetitia Kaci, UNESCO Media Section, +33(0)145681772
To launch the International Jazz Day 2018 celebration, the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), will present a special International Jazz Day Salute to New Orleans concert recognizing the 300th anniversary of the City of New Orleans. Taking place Sunday, April 22 at 2 pm in historic Congo Square, this free, public event will be led by iconic jazz pianist Herbie Hancock and world-renowned New Orleans trumpeter Terence Blanchard, who will perform with the E-Collective. The concert also will feature vocalists Patti Austin, Ledisi and Philip Bailey, the Preservation All-Stars and other special guests affirming the unifying power of jazz. John Beasley will serve as Musical Director for the event.
In addition to the live concert, a series of in-school jazz education presentations led by the Institute’s teaching artists and educators will serve New Orleans students from April 18 to 30. These free programs, exploring the origins, development and significance of jazz, will include master classes conducted by Hancock and Blanchard and other outstanding musicians and educators.
Attendees at the inaugural International Jazz Day concert in Congo Square in 2012
The Congo Square concert will serve as a kick off to International Jazz Day 2018. This global celebration, which takes place each year on April 30, highlights the power of jazz as a force for freedom and creativity, promotes intercultural dialogue through respect and understanding, and unites people from all corners of the globe. Of special significance, the first ever International Jazz Day event was held in Congo Square, so it is fitting that this year’s Jazz Day festivities take place in New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz.
Students from the Institute’s National Performing Arts High Schools program will participate in an educational jazz “informance” on Friday, April 6 in Washington, D.C. as part of a partnership with the United States Department of Education. Accompanied by master saxophonist and Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance graduate Wayne Escoffery, the students will treat DC public school students and Department staff to a performative introduction to jazz music.
The presentation will be webcast live via the Department of Education Facebook page and via ed.gov beginning at noon Eastern.
Teaching artist Terell Stafford (center) leads the 2017 informance at the Department of Education. Photo: U.S. Department of Education
The informance, now an annual tradition that consistently draws a standing-room-only audience, will touch on a range of topics including music theory, the structure of jazz compositions, improvisational techniques, group dynamics and the history of jazz, giving attendees a front-row seat to the jazz performance process. Dr. JB Dyas, the Institute’s Vice-President of Education and Curriculum Development, will lead the session along with Escoffery.
The event also affords Institute students the opportunity to interact with and learn from a bonafide jazz master. Commented trumpeter Terell Stafford after the 2017 informance, “Each year, day, each minute, the family gets bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger. I love that about this music.”
“It’s about community, about love, about trust, about sharing.”
The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz announced today that its Peer-to-Peer jazz education program will visit Fargo and Sioux Falls public schools from April 16-20. Accompanied by renowned teaching artists Don Braden and Lisa Henry, six of the country’s most gifted high school music students will present educational “informances” (informational performances) and workshops for thousands of students.
Besides playing jazz at a level that belies their years, the touring students will talk with their Fargo and Sioux Falls peers about what jazz is, why it’s important to America, and how a jazz ensemble represents a perfect democracy. They also will discuss the important American values jazz represents: teamwork; freedom with responsibility; unity with ethnic diversity; the correlation of hard work and goal accomplishment; and the importance of finding a passion early in life, being persistent, and believing in yourself. When young people hear this message from kids their same age, they are often more likely to listen.
The members of the all-star sextet selected nationwide to participate in the Dakotas tour include trumpeter Stéphane Clément, 17, and alto saxophonist Julian Gonzalez, 17, from Miami; guitarist Jordan Reifkind, 17, and bassist Dario Bizio, 16, from Los Angeles; pianist Tyler Henderson, 16, from Houston; and drummer Jeremiah Collier, 17, from Chicago. All of the students participate in the Institute’s National Performing Arts High School Jazz Program, receiving ongoing instruction from the Institute’s outstanding teaching artists and performing with world-renowned guest artists.
The weeklong tour, coinciding with Jazz Appreciation Month and the run-up to International Jazz Day, will conclude with a performance open to the public on April 20 at Sioux Falls’ premier listening venue, Fernson on 8th, where Sioux Falls residents and visitors are invited to enjoy an evening of music with Braden and Henry alongside jazz’s future young lions.
