News
In Memory of Aretha Franklin
The world lost a legend today. And, the Institute lost one of its most beloved friends and loyal supporters. For over two decades, Aretha Franklin has generously and graciously given her time and resources to the Institute by headlining concerts, participating in our Competition, appearing on our network television specials, and performing during International Jazz […]
Institute Students, Alumni Represented at 23rd Central Avenue Jazz Festival
Students in the Institute’s Los Angeles-area public school-based education programs received top billing at last weekend’s Central Avenue Jazz Festival, a decades-old LA institution. Also on offer were multiple ensembles led by alumni of both the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Competitions. On Saturday, June 28th, […]
Institute Trustee Shorter Announced as 2018 Kennedy Center Honoree
Renowned saxophonist and Institute Trustee Wayne Shorter, a legendary figure in jazz for more than six decades, will be recognized as one of eight recipients of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors. The awards ceremony will take place on December 2, 2018, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. As […]
Don Braden, Bobby Broom, Lisa Henry lead 2018 Peer-to-Peer Tours to the Dakotas, San Diego
Students at 10 public schools in Fargo, North Dakota; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and San Diego, California benefited from jazz education programming offered through the Institute’s spring 2018 Peer-to-Peer tours. Acclaimed jazz masters and our National Peer-to-Peer All-Star Jazz Sextets conducted a series of informances and in-depth educational workshops, with an emphasis on making jazz […]
LA Jazz in the Classroom Spring Concert Swings in the Summer
The Institute’s Los Angeles-area Jazz in the Classroom program held its Spring Concert on June 2 at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, ushering out the 2018 school year with performances by more than 50 talented student musicians. Each year’s Spring Concert gives every Jazz in the Classroom student the opportunity to put into practice the […]
Graduation for the Institute of Jazz Performance Class of 2018
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), […]
College Program hosts final jam session at blue whale on Tuesday, June 5
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 […]
Jazz in the Classroom students participate in 2018 DCPS Music Festival
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. Jazz ensembles from Woodrow Wilson High School and the […]
International Jazz Day 2018 Comes to a Close Following Celebratory Concerts in St. Petersburg and New Orleans
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 […]
International Jazz Day Weekend to Launch with Special Broadcast on PBS
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 […]