New York, November 30, 2015. Paul Williams, President of The ASCAP Foundation, and George Wein, Founder & Chairman of the Newport Jazz Festival, announced a new joint effort to benefit emerging jazz talent. The Festival, one of the world’s leading venues for jazz, has agreed to feature a performance by one of the recipients of the 2016 ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards. The Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards were established by The ASCAP Foundation in 2002 to encourage gifted jazz composers up to the age of 30. The program carries the name of the great trumpeter and ASCAP member Herb Alpert in recognition of The Herb Alpert Foundation’s multi-year financial commitment to support this unique program. The recipients, who receive cash awards, are selected through a juried national competition. The deadline for entering the 2016 competition is December 10, 2015. (Guidelines are at www.ascap.com/music-career/support/young-jazz-guidelines.aspx) George Wein became aware of the Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards last June and was impressed enough with the quality of the music to provide this opportunity to one of the winners. Wein said: “We are very happy to have this association with The ASCAP Foundation and I have a great deal of respect for Herb Albert and his foundation and what it has done for jazz.” The performance will take place at the 2016 Newport Jazz Festival (July 29-31, 2016) on the Festival’s Storyville stage. Commenting on the collaboration with The Newport Jazz Festival, Paul Williams said: “We are honored that George Wein and The Newport Jazz Festival have initiated this exciting partnership, continuing Newport’s long and wonderful tradition of presenting the newest generation of talented jazz musicians.”
About The ASCAP Foundation Founded in 1975, The ASCAP Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to supporting and encouraging American music creators through music education, talent development and humanitarian programs. Included in these are songwriting workshops, scholarships, awards, recognition and community outreach programs, and providing grants to other 501(c)(3) organizations engaged in educational programs for aspiring songwriters and composers. The ASCAP Foundation is supported by contributions from ASCAP members and from music lovers throughout the United States. www.ascapfoundation.org
About Newport Festivals Foundation Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded by George Wein in 2010 to build up and continue the legacies of the famed Newport Jazz Festival and Newport Folk Festival. Under the auspices of the Foundation, the Newport Jazz Festival presents performers who respect and honor jazz music traditions, and at the same time reflect the changes in today’s musical trends. The Foundation offers programs to educate young people about jazz music as presented at the annual festival. For more information, visit newportfestivalsfoundation.org.
