FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Alisse Kingsley, Muse Media
2013 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition and
All-Star Gala Concert, Made Possible by Cadillac, Will Take Place
September 15-16 in Washington, D.C.
Wayne Shorter to receive Lifetime Achievement Award
Special Tribute to George Duke
Talent Line-up Includes John Beasley (Musical Director), Brian Blade,
Terri Lyne Carrington, Vinnie Colaiuta, Kurt Elling, Robben Ford, James Genus,
Herbie
Hancock, Roy Hargrove, Jimmy Heath, Ledesi, Branford Marsalis, Marcus
Miller, T.S. Monk, John Patitucci, Danilo Pérez, Take 6 and other
Special Guests
Washington,
D.C.--The 26th annual Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition
presented by the world-renowned Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, will
take place September 15-16.
Open to musicians under age 30 from across the globe, this year's
competition will present a Lifetime Achievement Award to legendary
saxophonist Wayne Shorter as well as paying tribute to the late George
Duke.
The Semifinals of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition will be held on Sunday, September 15th, from l:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
at the Smithsonian Institution's Baird Auditorium inside the National
Museum of American History. The semifinalists will compete before an
all-star panel of judges including jazz saxophonists Jane Ira Bloom, Jimmy Heath, Branford Marsalis, Wayne Shorter, and Bobby Watson. Each semifinalist will perform for 15 minutes, accompanied by Rodney Whitaker on bass, Reginald Thomas on piano, and Carl Allen on drums, and from this group the judges will select three finalists who will perform in the final round at the Kennedy Center on Monday evening, September 16th.
At stake are over $100,000 in scholarships and prizes including a
$25,000 first place scholarship and guaranteed recording contract with
Concord Music Group; a $15,000 second place scholarship; and a $10,000
third place scholarship. Cadillac is the Presenting Sponsor
for the weekend, and air transportation will be provided by United
Airlines, Official Airline of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.
Following the three finalists' performances at the Competition Finals, an All-Star Gala Concert at The Kennedy Center will bring together some of the biggest names in jazz, including John
Beasley (Musical Director), Brian Blade, Terri Lyne Carrington, Vinnie
Colaiuta, Robben Ford, Kurt Elling, James Genus, Herbie Hancock, Roy
Hargrove, Jimmy Heath, Ledesi, Branford Marsalis, Marcus Miller, T.S.
Monk, John Patitucci, Danilo Pérez, Take 6 and others. Also
performing in the festivities will be the Thelonious Monk Institute of
Jazz Performance college students along with the 2013 edition of the
Thelonious Monk Institute National Performing Arts High School All-Star
Jazz Sextet. Additional talent will be announced shortly.
At the concert, the Institute will present the legendary Wayne Shorter
with a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his extraordinary,
six-decade career as a saxophonist, educator and composer. In the
Institute's nearly 30-year history, this is only the second time the
award has been presented, the first being to Quincy Jones in 1996. There
will also be a special tribute to the late George Duke,
a longtime friend and supporter of the Institute, who was scheduled to
serve as the evening's Musical Director. Many of Duke's longtime musical
collaborators will perform in his memory.
The semifinals will be streamed online at MonkInstitute.org and facebook.com/monkinstitute
Proceeds
from the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition and
All-Star Gala Concert will help fund the Institute's public school jazz
and blues education programs across Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los
Angeles, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Delta.
Editors please note the following event and ticket information:
Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition Semifinals
Sunday, September 15th, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. with ticket distribution at 12:00 p.m.
Baird Auditorium at the National Museum of Natural History, 10th St. & Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC
Tickets
are free of charge and will be distributed by the Smithsonian
Associates at the National Museum of Natural History on a first-come,
first-served basis beginning at 12:00 p.m.
Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition Finals
and All-Star Gala Concert
Monday, September 16th, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.
Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater, 2700 F St. NW, Washington, DC
Tickets are $50 to $75 and may be purchased via the Kennedy Center box office in person, by calling 800.444.1324, or online at www.kennedy-center.org.
Information regarding VIP packages, which include admission to the
post-event VIP Cast Party, is available from the Institute at 202.364.7272 or bjones@monkinstitute.org.
Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Assembly Program at Woodrow Wilson High School, Washington, DC
Tuesday, September 17th at 10:00am
Woodrow Wilson High School, 3950 Chesapeake St. NW, Washington, DC 20016
Assembly
program for 800 Washington DC students featuring Herbie Hancock, T.S.
Monk, Bobby Watson and the Monk Institute's Jazz Performance Program
college students
Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz
The
Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, a nonprofit jazz education
organization, was founded in 1986 in memory of the legendary jazz
pianist and composer Thelonious Monk. The Institute fosters the next
generation of jazz greats by offering the world's most promising young
musicians college level training by internationally recognized jazz
masters, educating young people around the world about jazz through
innovative public school programs, and presenting a wide range of
initiatives that expand and perpetuate America's indigenous musical art
form. Visit the Institute at www.monkinstitute.org.
Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition
Since
1987, the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz has presented the
Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, which is recognized as
the world's most prestigious jazz competition and for discovering the
next generation of jazz masters. Each year, major scholarships and
prizes including recording contracts are awarded to the talented young
musicians participating in the Competition. The scholarships help pay
tuition for college-level jazz education studies and provide funds for
private, specialized instruction. Past judges have included Quincy
Jones, Diana Krall, Branford Marsalis, Christian McBride, Pat Metheny,
Hugh Masekela and many others.
Competition Semifinalists
Melissa Aldana
was
born in Santiago, Chile, and began playing saxophone at age 6. She
attended the Berklee College of Music as a Berklee Presidential Scholar.
While at Berklee, Aldana studied with Joe Lovano, George Garzone, Frank
Tiberi, Greg Osby, Hal Crook, Dave Santoro, Bill Pierce, Dino Govoni
and Ralph Peterson. She has appeared at venues such as the Blue Note
Jazz Club, the Iridium, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the
Village Vanguard, the Jazz Standard and Smalls Jazz Club.
Braxton Cook
was
born in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland.
He began playing saxophone at age 10 and later studied at Georgetown
University before transferring to the Juilliard School. Cook has studied
under Steve Wilson, Ron Blake and Paul Carr, and received the Irene
Diamond Scholarship to attend Juilliard. He has performed with Wynton
Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Gerald Albright, Cassandra Wilson, Joe
Lovano, Terell Stafford and Terence Blanchard, and recently toured
Europe as part of the Christian Scott Sextet.
Sam Dillon
was
born in Great Neck, New York, and began playing saxophone at age 10. He
received his master's degree in music from Purchase College, State
University of New York. In addition to hosting many jazz workshops,
Dillon has taught music lessons locally for the past 8 years. He has
recently performed with the Artie Shaw Jazz Orchestra, Cecilia Coleman
Big Band and Joe Chambers' "Moving Pictures" Jazz Orchestra, and has
appeared at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, the Iridium
and Yoshi's Jazz Club.
Lukas Gabric
was
born in Villach,Austria, and began playing saxophone at age 11. He
attended the City College of New York and New School University, where
he received the Thomas D. Michael Scholarship. A woodwind ensemble coach
at the Frank Sinatra High School for the Performing Arts, Gabric has
performed at the Apollo Theatre, Smalls Jazz Club, at international jazz
festivals across Europe. He was recently accepted into the Juilliard
School, where he is pursuing a jazz studies diploma.
Andrew Gould
was
born in Long Island, New York, and began playing saxophone at age 10.
He graduated magna cum laude from Purchase College, State University of
New York, receiving the James Moody Scholarship Award before attaining
his master of music degree at the Manhattan School of Music. Gould has
studied under George Garzone, Jimmy Greene, Steve Wilson, Jon Gordon and
Dave Pietro, and has toured internationally. He has performed with Jon
Faddis, Bill Mobley and David Weiss, and is a member of the Wallace
Roney Orchestra.
Michael Griffin
was
born in Sydney, Australia, and began playing saxophone at age 11. He
graduated from Newtown High School of the Performing Arts and later
attended the Sydney Conservatorium. Griffin participated in the 2012
Melbourne International Jazz Festival, and has performed at the Sydney
Town Hall, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Entertainment Center and Novotel
Hotel. A James Morrison Scholarship finalist for four consecutive years,
Griffin has shared the stage with Joe Lovano, Kirk Lightsey, James
Morrison, James Muller, Jacki Cooper, Judy Bailey, Dale Barlow and Dave
Panichi.
Danny Janklow
was
born in Los Angeles, California, and began playing saxophone at age 11.
He studied at Temple University and graduated with honors. Janklow has
studied with Terell Stafford, Dick Oatts and Walt Weiskopf, and has
performed alongside Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Benny Golson,
James Moody, Jimmy Heath, Wycliffe Gordon, Savion Glover, Karrin Alyson,
James Torme, Danilo Pérez, Stanley Clarke, Nicholas Payton, Steve
Wilson and Bruce Barth. He participates in jazz workshops at Stanford
University and teaches privately in Southern California.
Grace Kelly
was
born in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and began playing saxophone at age 6.
After graduating from the New England Conservatory Preparatory School,
she received a bachelor's degree from the Berklee College of Music.
Kelly has performed with Harry Connick, Jr. and Wynton Marsalis, and
appeared at the Kennedy Center as part of President Obama's Inauguration
festivities. She has performed at venues around the world, including
the Montreal Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Lincoln Center and
Carnegie Hall.
Mike Lebrun
was
born in Framingham, Massachusetts, and began playing saxophone at age
12. He attended the Dreyfoos School of the Arts before graduating from
Northwestern University with a double major in jazz studies and
economics. Lebrun won the 2008 International Jazz Composer's Symposium
and has studied with John Wojciechowski and Tom Garling. He has
performed with Maria Schneider, Dee Dee Bridgewater, The Temptations,
Bob Mintzer, Conrad Herwig, Ron Blake, Jim McNeely and Dave Liebman.
Godwin Louis
was
born in Harlem, New York, and began playing saxophone at age 9. He
studied at the Berklee College of Music before moving to New Orleans to
complete his master's degree in music from the Thelonious Monk Institute
of Jazz Performance at Loyola University. Louis has studied with
Terence Blanchard, JB Dyas and Jimmy Heath, and performed with Herbie
Hancock, Danilo Pérez, Ron Carter, Gloria Estefan, Billy Preston and
Benny Golson. He recently toured Italy, China, France, Venezuela and
Mexico, and is a member of the Haitian Youth Music Relief organization.
Tivon Pennicott
was
born in Marietta, Georgia and began playing saxophone at age 14. He
studied at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music under the
tutelage of Maria Schneider, Randy Brecker and Dave Liebman. Since 2007,
Pennicott has been a member of the Kenny Burrell Quintet and performed
at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Catalina Jazz Club and Yoshi's. He has
recorded with Esperanza Spalding and Gregory Porter, and has performed
with Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Heath, Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman, Roy
Hargrove, Aaron Goldberg and Benny Green.
Clay Pritchard
was
born in Grapevine, Texas, and began playing saxophone at age 12. In
high school, he was selected to participate in the National GRAMMY band
for two consecutive years. Prichard graduated from the University of
North Texas, where he studied with Randy Lee, Jim Riggs and Marchel
Ivery. Prichard has performed onstage with Phil Woods, Benny Golson,
Jimmy Heath, Maria Schneider and Dick Oatts. He currently performs with
the bands Emerald City and Snarky Puppy.
Dean Tsur
was
born in Timrat, Israel, and began playing saxophone at age 10. He
attended the Israeli Conservatory before studying at the Berklee College
of Music on a full scholarship. He went on to attend the Juilliard
School of Music as a recipient of the Ruth Katzman Scholarship. Tsur has
studied with Steve Wilson, George Garzone, Dino Govoni, Gan Lev, Mark
Turner, Grant Stewart and Mike Tucker. He has performed at Dizzy's Club
Coca-Cola, Lincoln Center, and the Blue Note.
Ben Van Gelder
was
born in Groningen, The Netherlands, and began playing saxophone at age
11. He studied at New School University before enrolling in the
University of Amsterdam and the Conservatory of Amsterdam, receiving
lessons from Lee Konitz and Mark Turner. Van Gelder has played with
David Binney, Ambrose Akinmusire, Nasheet Waits, Aaron Parks, Ben
Street, Thomas Morgan and Rodney Green. He was recently selected as the
winner of the Deloitte Jazz Award, one of the most prestigious jazz
awards given in the Netherlands.
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