BMI's Jazz Composers Workshop Presents 30th Annual Summer Showcase Concert 6/14

The BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, a longstanding program for aspiring jazz music composers, will present the best new big band and jazz orchestra compositions created during the past year at the 30th 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 the event held at The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater (10 West 64th Street) on Thursday, June 14th at 7:30 PM.

The show is FREE and open to the public with seating first come, first serve. Doors will be at 7 PM. Musical Director Andy Farber will be returning for the third year in a row to lead the program along with Associate Musical Director and GRAMMY Award-winner, Ted Nash. 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. Outside of the jazz arena, Farber also composes music for media including TV commercials, TV shows, web series, documentaries, and feature films. Nash marks his return to the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop where he was a student in the early 90's.

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. Recently, Ted Nash received two GRAMMY Awards for his big band compositions from Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom. "It has been another productive season for the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop," said Farber. "This year's diverse group of writers have produced some engaging new works. Ted and I are thrilled to have the BMI/New York Jazz Orchestra premiere ten new pieces, created during this season's workshop." Since its founding in 1939, BMI has been deeply involved in the Jazz community. This year's Jazz Composers Workshop continues BMI's established support of jazz music with the 30th annual Summer Showcase Concert to highlight another excellent year for jazz music composers. "BMI is proud to continue supporting the jazz community by providing this opportunity for aspiring composers," said Patrick Cook, Director of Jazz & Musical Theatre at BMI.

"Now in its 30th year, the showcase is always a special night filled with talented musicians and composers who keep jazz music alive in New York City and beyond." Following the performances, the BMI Foundation will award the 19th Annual Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize to the writer of the best new work composed in this year's BMI Jazz Composers Workshop. The three judges will determine the winner including jazz musician, workshop alumni, and previous judge Darcy J. Argue along with jazz musicians Alan Broadbent and Ed Neumeister. Past judges have included Wynton Marsalis, Jimmy Heath, Alan Ferber, John Fedchock, Ingrid Jensen, Slide Hampton & more. 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 2019 concert. The winner of last year's prize, Remy La Boeuf will premiere his commissioned work at this year's show.

Celebrating over 77 years of service to songwriters, composers, music publishers and businesses, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a global leader in music rights management, serving as an advocate for the value of music. BMI represents the public performance rights in nearly 13 million musical works created and owned by more than 800,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers. The Company negotiates music license agreements and distributes the fees it generates as royalties to its affiliated writers and publishers when their songs are performed in public. In 1939, BMI created a groundbreaking open-door policy becoming the only performing rights organization to welcome and represent the creators of blues, jazz, country, and American roots music.

Today, the musical compositions in BMI's repertoire, from chart toppers to perennial favorites, span all genres of music and are consistently among the most-performed hits of the year. For additional information and the latest BMI news, visit bmi.com, follow us on Twitter @BMI or stay connected through Broadcast Music, Inc.'s Facebook page. Sign up for BMI's The Weekly and receive our e-newsletter every Monday to stay up to date on all things music.sic.