University of Pittsburgh's Annual Jazz Seminar & Concert to Receive 2005 Mellon Jazz Community Award
02 November 2005 - 2:47AM
PR Newswire (US)
PITTSBURGH, Nov. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Pittsburgh's
Annual Jazz Seminar & Concert has been selected as the
recipient of the 2005 Mellon Jazz Community Award. Saluting the
annual jazz seminar's contribution to the advancement of jazz in
the Pittsburgh area, the award will be presented during this year's
35th Annual University of Pittsburgh Jazz Seminar Concert on
Saturday, November 5, in the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland.
"Pitt's annual jazz seminar is a landmark accomplishment, notable
for both its remarkably long run and the high quality of its
programming," said Rose Gabbianelli, Mellon executive vice
president and director of corporate affairs. "Jazz in Pittsburgh
has few better friends than the University of Pittsburgh Jazz
Seminar, and Mellon Jazz is proud to be a long-time supporter of
this outstanding program. We join the entire Pittsburgh community
in saluting Dr. Nathan Davis and his team during this 35th
anniversary celebration year, and thanking them for their many
years of outstanding jazz education and memorable live jazz
performances." The Mellon Jazz Community Award recognizes local
venues, individuals, organizations, clubs, musicians, programs and
institutions for their significant contributions to jazz in the
southwestern Pennsylvania area. Taking the form of an original
glass sculpture by noted Pennsylvania glass artist Kathleen
Mulcahy, this year's award will be presented by Oliver Byrd, senior
vice president of Mellon Financial Corporation and chairperson of
the African American Cultural Center of Greater Pittsburgh, and
will be accompanied by a $5,000 contribution from Mellon Jazz to
the University of Pittsburgh in support of the jazz seminar.
Accepting the award on behalf of the jazz seminar will be
University of Pittsburgh Provost James V. Maher. Previous Mellon
Jazz Community Awardees include Walt Harper, Tony Mowod, Joe Negri,
the African American Jazz Preservation Society of Pittsburgh, the
Afro-American Music Institute, and WDUQ-FM. The 2004 recipient was
Duquesne University's Mary Pappert School of Music. The 2005 Mellon
Jazz Community Award in the Philadelphia area was presented earlier
this month to Denise King, jazz vocalist and founder of
Philadelphia's Friday Night Jazz and "BeBop and Books" programs.
The annual Pitt Jazz Seminar and Concert is the longest-running
event of its kind in the country. From modest beginnings in a
lounge of Pitt's William Pitt Union in 1971, the event has grown to
include approximately 10 visiting international musicians who
conduct free on-campus lecture/demonstrations, hold mini-clinics at
area schools, appear at community venues, and end the week with a
concert at Carnegie Music Hall. A list of past participants reads
like a Who's Who in Jazz, including Art Blakey, Grover Washington,
Jr., Sonny Rollins, Billy Taylor, and many more. Mellon Financial
Corporation's year-round celebration of jazz excellence, Mellon
Jazz is marking its 19th anniversary in Pittsburgh this year and
20th in Philadelphia. In both cities Mellon Jazz supports
non-profit organizations engaged in live jazz performances and jazz
education, and recognizes individuals and organizations that have
made significant contributions to each city's rich jazz tradition.
More information on Mellon Jazz activities is available via the
Mellon Jazz link at http://www.mellon.com/. DATASOURCE: Mellon
Financial Corporation CONTACT: Ron Sommer of Mellon Financial
Corporation, +1-412-236-0082, or Web site: http://www.mellon.com/
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