Program Designed to Share Knowledge, Experience, Ideas Between Partners Who Share a Mutual Mission to Support and Promote the Jazz Art Form
“Partnership for Excellence” Plans Include New College Composition Competition to be Presented by CJC at MJF’s Next Generation Jazz Festival; Performance Opportunities at MJF and CJC Venues; Shared Faculty, Programs, Marketing, and Facilities
Monterey and Berkeley, Calif.; May 14, 2019; The legendary, iconic jazz presenter, the Monterey Jazz Festival (MJF), has joined forces with the innovative, pioneering jazz education leader, the California Jazz Conservatory (CJC), to form a new, long-term collaboration: The MJF-CJC Partnership for Excellence in Jazz Performance and Education. The program was designed to share each organization’s strengths in pursuing their mutual mission to support and promote jazz performance and education.
“I could not be more excited about our new partnership with the world-renowned Monterey Jazz Festival. Given our shared mission to forward both jazz performance and education along with our long-standing close personal friendship, this mutually beneficial collaboration is a natural fit,” noted CJC President Susan Muscarella.
MJF Jazz Education Director Paul Contos added, “We all share the same vision, the same demand for top quality, the same drive for excellence––and we all like each other! It was an easy decision to combine our expertise and take this great leap forward for jazz presentation and jazz education.”
The newly designated affiliation is a continuation of the successful three-year relationship between the two internationally recognized, California-based jazz institutions, enhancing an existing partnership established in 2017 between CJC and MJF at the MJF-produced Next Generation Jazz Festival.
In addition to sharing faculty, programs, marketing and facilities on a long-term basis, specific proposals for the 2019-2020 timeframe include CJC’s development and presentation of a new, nationwide college-level composition competition with the winning work slated to be premiered and presented live at the 50th Next Generation Jazz Festival (April 3-5, 2020).
As a part of the partnership program, performance opportunities will abound year-round for both organizations. CJC student and faculty groups have been invited to play on the North Coast Brewing Co. Jazz Education Stage during the upcoming Monterey Jazz Festival (September 27-29, 2019), and in future Monterey and Next Generation Jazz Festivals. The Partnership for Excellence also includes multiple opportunities for CJC and MJF faculty to participate in one another’s presentations and programs.
MJF Executive Director Colleen Bailey concluded, “This is a timely opportunity for us to join forces with the California Jazz Conservatory. We view this Partnership for Excellence in Jazz Performance and Education as a long-term commitment to collaborate, to the benefit of our students and fans. It makes strategic sense for both entities, and that makes sense for the future of jazz.”
About the California Jazz Conservatory: The California Jazz Conservatory is the only independent, accredited music school in the country completely devoted to the study and performance of jazz. CJC offers a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies and an Associate of Arts degree in Jazz Studies; CJC’s non degree-granting community music school, Jazzschool at CJC, offers over 100 classes and workshops on a quarterly basis; the CJC Weekend Concert Series presents concerts in two intimate venues featuring visiting artists, students and faculty. For more information about CJC, visit www.cjc.edu or contact Paul Fingerote at 831.373.3343 or [email protected].
About Monterey Jazz Festival: Monterey Jazz Festival, a leader in the jazz world since 1958, celebrates the legacy of jazz, expands its boundaries, and provides opportunities to experience jazz through the creative production of performances and educational programs. Tickets for the 62nd Annual Monterey Jazz Festival, September 27-29, 2019, can be purchased online at montereyjazzfestival.org or by calling 888.248.6499. The full lineup for the 62nd Monterey Jazz Festival can be found on montereyjazzfestival.org. For more information about MJF, contact [email protected].
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For more information, high-resolution photographs and interviews, please contact:
Timothy Orr
Marketing Associate
Monterey Jazz Festival
Direct Line: 831.646.8670
Monterey Phone: 831.373.3366
[email protected]
www.montereyjazzfestival.org
Monterey Jazz Festival is honored to receive support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, NEA Art Works, North Coast Brewing Company, Scheid Family Wines, Blue Note at Sea; Inns of Monterey, Yamaha, Medcom Solutions, Taylor Farms, Macy’s, Blue Microphones, Montage Health, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Kind Bars, Vibes Earplugs, City of Monterey, Naturipe, MogoARTS Marketing, Remo, KSBW/ABC/EstrellaTV, JazzTimes, DownBeat, KAZU, and SmoothJazz.com Global.