Arts Roundup

sealPurdue News
_____

January 10, 1996

Purdue Jazz Festival set for Jan. 17 and 18

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Some of the nation's most outstanding jazz musicians and educators will assemble at Purdue University on Friday, Jan. 17, and Saturday, Jan. 18, for the seventh annual Purdue Jazz Festival.

The festival kicks off at 8 p.m. Friday with a Purdue Convocations concert by Steve Turre and the Sanctified Shell Band. Trombonist Turre is best known for his weekly appearances with the Saturday Night Live band. Each of Turre's 10 band members, whether a brass player or percussionist, doubles on traditional horns and seashells-turned-horns. Tickets are $19 and available at Purdue Box Offices, (765) 494-3933.

On Saturday, Jan. 18, approximately 75 high-school jazz bands from Indiana, Illinois and Michigan will participate in various jazz competitions and educational clinics. Throughout the day, high-school and middle-school bands also will perform at several sites on campus, including Loeb Playhouse, Fowler Hall and the North Ballroom of the Memorial Union. Each band will be evaluated by a panel of judges, who will select an honor band and honor student for the festival.

Also on Saturday, notable jazz musicians such as Bobby Shew, Steve Turre and Dominic Spera will give educational clinics on topics such as improvisation, rehearsal techniques and performance techniques.

A grand finale concert will be presented at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Elliott Hall of Music. The top high-school and middle-school honor bands selected from the day's competition will open the concert. The Purdue Jazz Band, with guest trumpeter Bobby Shew and under the direction of Lissa Fleming May and guest conductor Dominic Spera, also will perform.

Shew has played with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the Woody Herman Band and the Buddy Rich Band. Spera has performed with such artists as Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra and Natalie Cole, as well as with the Boston, Cleveland and Indianapolis symphonies. He is a professor of music at Indiana University.

Tickets for Saturday's activities are $8 and will be available in the main lobby of Stewart Center the day of the festival. Advance tickets can be purchased at Purdue Box Offices, (765) 494-3933.

CONTACT: Jennifer Tucker, director of public relations for bands, (765) 496-2697; e-mail: tuckerj@omni.cc.purdue.edu

Young violinist makes Purdue debut Jan. 28

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Violinist Leila Josefowicz will play one concert at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, in Loeb Playhouse at Purdue University. The concert is part of the Loeb Music Collection series offered by Purdue Convocations.

At age 20, Josefowicz already has performed with the Chicago and Boston symphonies, the Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and in Carnegie Hall. She also has performed in Japan, selling out halls in Tokyo and Osaka last spring.

Josefowicz began playing the violin at the age of 3 and made her television debut on the NBC special "America's Tribute to Bob Hope" when she was 10. Since then, Josefowicz has been featured on PBS with the Boston Pops and the "Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson. The Chicago Tribune calls her "phenomenal." The Philadelphia Inquirer said: "Her performance ensures that no one will ever again say what an incredible musician Josefowicz is for her age. She is an incredible musician at any age."

The program for the concert at Purdue includes compositions by Grieg, Bartok and Bizet.

Tickets are $14 for the public and $8 for Purdue students at campus box offices and Ticketmaster outlets. Charge by telephone at (765) 494-3933 or 800-914-SHOW.

CONTACT: Jeff Langford, Convocations publicist, (765) 494-9712 ; e-mail, jilangford@convos.purdue.edu

jmw/artsround/9701m4

Compiled by: J. Michael Willis, (765) 494-0371; e-mail, mike_willis@purdue.edu


To the Purdue News and Photos Page