Philly POPS And Kimmel Center To Present School District's All-City Jazz Festival

The Philly POPS and the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts will present the School District of Philadelphia's All-City Jazz Festival. The day of free jazz performances by student and professional musicians will be held in the Kimmel Center's Perelman Theater and Commonwealth Plaza on Wednesday, April 18, 2018 from Noon - 9 p.m. This will be the POPS's fourth year presenting this event and the second year in partnership with the Kimmel Center.

Throughout the day, a variety of student jazz programs, including from POPS in Schools, will take the stage. Professional POPS musicians will accompany students in the music-making and lead master classes in brass, percussion, rhythm, and winds.

"Our POPS in Schools program readies the next generation of Philadelphia musicians for a lifetime of music appreciation and the opportunity for a career in the field," said Frank Giordano, President and CEO of the Philly POPS. "This festival celebrates the wonderful Philadelphia tradition of jazz and we're especially grateful to be working with our partner, the Kimmel Center, to make it a memorable day for students, educators, and parents."

"Our new program in partnership with UArts, the Creative Jazz Institute, is launching this summer, so it is the perfect time to engage with all of Philadelphia's most accomplished student jazz musicians," said Anne Ewers, President and CEO of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. "We are proud to host the School District of Philadelphia's All-City Jazz Festival and partner with the Philly POPS."

Philly's Creative Jazz Institute is a dynamic two-week experience for students, where instrumentalists and vocalists explore technique, repertoire, and performance while interacting with master-level artists.

Philadelphia students at the All-City Jazz Festival will also interact with great artists from the Kimmel Center's jazz series including Laurin Talese and Terell Stafford, Director of the School District's All-City Jazz Orchestra.

"Working with Philadelphia's most-promising high school jazz students at the All-City Jazz Festival is a highlight of my year - and I'm especially excited to bring the Temple University Jazz Band to this year's event," said Terell Stafford, Director of Jazz Studies and Chair of Instrumental Studies in the Boyer College of Music at Temple."

"As a member of the Pops orchestra and a music educator, I'm thrilled to participate in this valuable day of jazz performances and master classes for the Philadelphia School District students," said POPS principal trumpet Matt Gallagher.

Students, parents, and the public will be invited to attend the day and evening performances. The 7 p.m. performance is a free, ticketed event with General Admission seating. Students and families should contact their school's music department to reserve tickets. Select tickets are available through sign-up here. For all other ticket inquiries, please visit the Kimmel Center Box Office.

Performance Schedule:

Commonwealth Plaza Stage
Noon: The UArts "Z" Big Band, Matt Gallagher, director

1:00 p.m.: Laurin Talese: Performance, Interview, Masterclass

2:00 p.m.: Temple University Jazz Band

Rendell Room
1:00 p.m.: Trumpet Masterclass with POPS principal trumpet Matt Gallagher
3:00 p.m.: Sax/Winds Masterclass with POPS multi-instrumentalist Mark Allen

Comcast Circle

1:00 p.m.: Sax/Winds Masterclass with POPS multi-instrumentalist Ron Kerber

Merck Education Rooms

1:00 p.m.: Trombone Masterclass with Chris Mele
3:00 p.m.: Percussion and Rhythm Masterclass with POPS musicians Steve Beskrone and Joe Nero

Perelman Theater
7 p.m. - 9 p.m. All-City Jazz Showcase, hosted by Laurin Talese
The most accomplished bands from the All-City Jazz program schools perform. Schools expected: Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush, Central High School, Franklin Learning Center, High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA), Girard Academic Music Program (GAMP), and Julia R. Masterman.

Plus, a performance by the audition-only All-City Jazz Orchestra, the School District of Philadelphia honor ensemble attracting the most talented jazz students from high schools all across the District, conducted by Terell Stafford.

The All-City Jazz Festival is made possible through the generous support of Philadelphia Energy Solutions. http://phillypops.org/allcityjazzfestival2018

ABOUT POPS IN SCHOOLS

In a school system that has seen cutbacks in arts programs over the past decade, POPS in Schools provides customized programs, music training and education, performance opportunities, and access to experience professional concerts throughout Philadelphia.

Launched in 2015, POPS in Schools is an EITC-certified program that enhances music education for approximately 2,000 students in the School District of Philadelphia by embedding Philly POPS artists in schools to coach and mentor music students in four elementary and ten high schools: Delaplaine McDaniel Elementary, Isaac Sheppard, Bache-Martin, Childs Elementary, Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush, Central High School, Franklin Learning Center, High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA), Hill-Freedman World Academy, Girard Academic Music Program (GAMP), Julia R. Masterman, George Washington Carver Engineering and Sciences High, George Washington High School, and Northeast High School.

POPS in Schools is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Chase and Susan McDaniel, Philadelphia Energy Solutions, Wells Fargo, Pam and Tim Alles, M&T Bank, PECO and others.

ABOUT THE PHILLY POPS
The Philly POPS, the largest standalone pops orchestra in the United States, delights audiences with the inspired performance of American popular music. The POPS celebrates this distinctive musical heritage through an expanding repertoire of innovative concert presentations and a robust set of educational and engagement initiatives.

Now in its 39th season, the official POPS orchestra of Pennsylvania serves a consistently growing audience of over 150,000 annually. Music Director Michael Krajewski and the 65-piece Philly POPS orchestra keeps listeners tapping their toes to an impressive repertoire of songs from American traditions of music up through today's chart toppers. The Philly POPS BIG Band, an 18-20 piece ensemble performing a rock and rhythm and blues repertoire , premiered in 2017 to enthusiastic response at the July 4 Welcome America Concert on the Parkway.

Outside the concert hall, Salute Series performances - including POPS on Independence on July 3 and the I'll Be Home for Christmas: A Salute to the Military and First Responders concert - celebrate the American tradition of service around important national holidays; POPS in Schools enhances music education for Philadelphia School District students; and POPS Outside brings POPS music to local communities.

The Philly POPS performs as a founding resident company of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, and at venues throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

ABOUT KIMMEL CENTER EDUCATION

In an effort to cultivate the next generation of theater-goers and arts lovers, the Kimmel Center continues to expand its robust set of education offerings for families, students, teachers, and aspiring artists. With ten full education programs, the Kimmel Center reaches students of all ages and skill levels, stimulating students' artistic expression and thought through multidisciplinary experiences. Whether toddlers or teenagers, musical mavericks or the newest newbies-the programs educate, engage, and inspire the next generation!

Kimmel Center Education offerings include: FREE performing arts classes for grades 5-12; Jazz Camp of Philadelphia, allowing young jazz talents to gain invaluable experience with technique, repertoire, and live performance; the Business of Making Music, a panelist series focused on engaging professionally-oriented students and graduates interested in pursuing a career in the music business; Student matinees offer opportunities to attend shows supplemented by curriculum materials; Creative Music Program for Jazz is a FREE school-year program allowing students to learn through master classes, rehearsals and performances; ShowStoppers is a FREE after-school musical theater program with instruction in theater art, vocal, and dance technique taught by professionally-acclaimed teaching artists; Broadway Dreams Foundation Summer Intensive features personal instruction from Broadway performers and industry professionals on acting, vocal technique, song selection, dance, business, and more; New this season are two new music technology courses for aspiring digital music professionals, as well as a three-year Jazz Standards curriculum featuring a comprehensive exploration of jazz by students and professionals.

All of these programs contribute to the Kimmel Center's mission to transform lives daily through the arts!

KIMMEL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, the Kimmel Center's mission is to operate a world-class performing arts center that engages and serves a broad audience through diverse programming, arts education, and community outreach. The Kimmel Center Campus is comprised of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts (Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, SEI Innovation Studio, and the Merck Arts Education Center), the Academy of Music (owned by the Philadelphia Orchestra Association), and the Merriam Theater. The Kimmel Center is also home to eight Resident Companies: The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, The Pennsylvania Ballet, The Philly POPS, PHILADANCO, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and Curtis Institute of Music. With nearly 9,000 seats per night, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is the region's most impactful performing arts center, and the second largest in the country. TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is the season sponsor of the Kimmel Center's 2017-2018 Season. American Airlines is the official airline of Broadway Philadelphia. For additional information, visit kimmelcenter.org

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