BMI Jazz Composers Workshop Showcase Concert Set for 6/22

The BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, a prestigious creative forum for musical exploration and development, will highlight the best new big band and jazz orchestra compositions created during the past year, culminating in a performance at the 28th Annual Summer Showcase Concert. The BMI/New York Jazz Orchestra, a 17-piece modern repertory ensemble made up of leading New York musicians, will be featured at this FREE event held at Christ and St. Stephen's Church (120 West 69th Street) on Wednesday, June 22nd at 7:30 PM. Seating is first-come, first-served with doors at 7:00 PM.

This year's workshop introduced two new musical instructors: Grammy Award nominee Andy Farber as Musical Director and Ted Nash as Associate Musical Director. Farber teaches jazz composition and arranging at The Juilliard School in New York and he has written arrangements for legendary artists including Shirley Horn and Jon Hendricks, as well as symphony orchestras including the Boston Pops Orchestra. Nash marks his return to the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop where he was a student in the early 90s. Among his many accomplishments, Nash is a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra directed by Wynton Marsalis, as well as the Jazz Composers Collective. Farber and Nash took on oversight of the workshop following the retirement of the program's longtime director Jim McNeely and associate director, Mike Holober.

Since its founding in 1939, BMI has been deeply involved in the Jazz community. This year's Jazz Composers Workshop continues BMI's support for jazz music with the annual Summer Showcase Concert to highlight another great year of jazz composers.

The evening will also feature a competition to choose the winner of the BMI Foundation's 17th Annual Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize, which will be given to the writer of the best new work composed in this year's BMI Jazz Composers Workshop. The judges include Wynton Marsalis, Jimmy Heath, and Alan Ferber.

The winning composer will receive the Manny Albam Commission, named in memory of the Workshop's co-founder and longtime musical director, to compose a new piece for the following year's concert. Miho Hazama, last year's winner, will premiere her commissioned work at this year's concert.