Announcing the Induction of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance's Class of 2023
Eight Promising Jazz Musicians Begin Two-Year Residency at UCLA's Herbie Hancock Institute
Eight extraordinary young jazz musicians have been selected for the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA, Class of 2023. Over the next two years, they will receive intensive training and mentorship from world-renowned jazz masters, as they strive to advance their artistry and careers in jazz music.
The Class of 2023 consists of tenor saxophonist Art Baden, alto saxophonist Devin Daniels, vocalist Darynn Dean, trumpeter Julien Knowles, bassist Emiliano Lasansky, drummer Benjamin Ring, pianist Javier Santiago, and clarinetist Matthew Stubbs.
Each musician brings a unique background to the programme, having studied with some of the most accomplished artists in the jazz world. For instance, Art Baden has performed with Joe Locke, Ralph Peterson, Evgeny Pobozhiy, and Alex Sipiagin, while Benjamin Ring has studied with Ndugu Chancler, Peter Erskine, Will Kennedy, Vince Mendoza, and Patrice Rushen.
The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance offers college-level training to promising young musicians by internationally acclaimed jazz masters. The programme, which is a nonprofit education organisation established in 1986, preserves, perpetuates, and expands jazz as a global art form.
The Institute's mission is to offer these talented musicians an unparalleled opportunity to study jazz and its defining element of improvisation with master musicians, composers, and educators. The musicians are selected through a rigorous application process judged by Herbie Hancock, Herb Alpert, and Ambrose Akinmusire.
During their time at the Institute, the students will study both individually and as a small group. They will receive personal mentoring, ensemble coaching, and lectures on the jazz tradition. They will also be encouraged to experiment in expanding jazz in new directions through their compositions and performances.
World-renowned jazz masters serve as Artists-in-Residence, teaching and performing with the students. The students will also receive composition instruction from GRAMMY Award winner Billy Childs and study improvisation with Jerry Bergonzi and Dick Oatts.
The musicians selected for the Class of 2023 have already demonstrated their potential with notable achievements. For example, Paul Cornish, a Los Angeles-based pianist and composer, was a finalist in the 2023 Herbie Hancock International Jazz Piano Competition as well as the 2023 American Pianists Awards.
The students, collectively known as the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance Ensemble at UCLA, present high-profile concerts and lead jazz education and community outreach programs. They are also encouraged to use jazz as a means to unite people of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities.
The Institute's programs are provided free of charge to students, schools, and communities worldwide. The students also receive full scholarships, along with stipends to cover their monthly living expenses.
The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA helps fill a void in arts education left by budget cuts in public school funding. By offering college-level training to promising young musicians, the Institute is cultivating future jazz leaders through rigorous training and performance opportunities.
In summary, the Class of 2023 at the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA represents a cohort of precocious jazz talents with established credentials and promising careers, emblematic of the Institute's mission to advance jazz music and its future leaders.
Beyond enhancing their skills in jazz music, these young musicians are also encouraged to explore entertainment as a means to connect people from diverse backgrounds. For instance, they might incorporate elements of music into multimedia projects that tell compelling stories, sparking curiosity and inspiring self-development in viewers.
In addition, taking a break from intense sessions of education and self-development, these musicians can unwind by attending various performances of different music genres, such as concerts or live shows, to broaden their horizons and appreciate the vast landscape of music.
