Idyllwild Arts Presents Reimagined JAZZ IN THE PINES Concert Series for Summer 2020 

Idyllwild Arts Academy announced the return of its popular annual fundraiser, Jazz In The Pines. While the Idyllwild Arts campus remains closed until August, Idyllwild Arts is forging ahead with a reimagined and predominantly virtual format for Jazz In The Pines, which includes several in-person events, and promises an exciting lineup of live and recorded performances and workshops, streaming from July 5 to 17. This year's Jazz In The Pines is curated by New York Times-featured jazz vocalist Rose Colella, who has performed at the festival for many years. The festival will be free and open to all, catering to everyone from seasoned Jazz fans to those new to the scene, with a range of established and up-and-coming jazz, blues and R&B performers. Donations directly support Idyllwild Arts to engage professional artists and educators, offer unique educational programs for global citizen artists, and provide scholarships for talented, young artists to attend Idyllwild Arts' world-class Boarding Arts High School and Summer Program.

The series will be streamed online, with specific times, websites or Zoom links available on www.jazzinthepines.com Festival highlights include an "In Conversation" series with featured artists, open masterclasses, and special events. Featured Jazz Faculty and Artists include Grammy Award-winning John Daversa, Tonight Show trumpeter Kye Palmer, Marshall Hawkins, Tom Hynes, Francisco Torres, Barb Catlin, Bob Boss, Evan Christopher, Rick Shaw, and Rose Colella, along with many other esteemed guests. The festival will kick off on Sunday, July 5 with an in-person event at FERRO Restaurant in Idyllwild, based on limited capacity, featuring a special performance by New Orleans-style band, Euphoria Brass Band.

This year's reimagined Jazz In The Pines, which marks its 26th, will be held to coincide with the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program Jazz Workshop where up to 70 students, from ages 14 to 18, will be given a chance to learn from some of the great practitioners of contemporary jazz. This format restores the original vision of festival co-founder and legendary bassist Marshall Hawkins by enabling Idyllwild Arts to build a bridge between the professionals and the next generation of jazz artists.

"By bringing together artists of all ages, Jazz In The Pines now aligns with what Idyllwild Arts has done exceptionally well for nearly 75 years." Says Pamela Jordan, President, Idyllwild Arts. "By ensuring a continuing dialogue of artistic expression, younger generations are taught to embrace the universal language of the arts to change lives and connect with human kind."

For 75 years, Idyllwild Arts has provided a foundation and space for artists to engage and the school was recently voted #1 High School for Arts in America. For more information on the festival, visit jazzinthepines.com. Students may register for the workshop at idyllwildarts.org/summer/summeronline.