Winners of the Nation's Highest Award in Jazz, The National Endowment For The Arts Jazz Masters Fan Out Cross-Country for NEA Jazz Masters on TourApril 28, 2005
From the Maine Center for the Arts in Orono, Maine to the Anchorage Concert Association in Anchorage, Alaska, audiences throughout the United States will have opportunities in 2005-06 to hear and meet some of America's most legendary musicians: the winners of the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award. These giants of American music are fanning out nationwide for a new season of NEA Jazz Masters on Tour. Organized by the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest, the program, which is being sponsored by Verizon, will reach all 50 states by providing funds to non-profit presenting organizations to feature NEA Jazz Masters, with educational activities included in each engagement. Additional support for the tour is provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation through a grant to Chamber Music America. Under another component of the NEA Jazz Masters Initiative, NEA Jazz in the Schools, the Verizon Foundation is supporting the creation and distribution of curriculum materials that will be available for use in the educational activities at each engagement. The National Endowment for the Arts launched NEA Jazz Masters on Tour in April 2004 with a smaller scale program that helped bring artists such as Ornette Coleman, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Heath and Randy Weston to audiences throughout the country. Now NEA Jazz Masters on Tour is in full operation. A complete list of participating presenters can be found at the end of this news release. National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Dana Gioia said, "The NEA is proud to announce the biggest jazz program in its history. We are not only sponsoring a 50-state tour by many of America's greatest living jazz musicians. We also are providing high school teachers a free, multimedia jazz curriculum to introduce a new generation to this distinctly American art form." "As part of Verizon's sponsorship of the NEA Jazz Masters Initiative, we are honored to help launch this exciting part of the project that will bring master musicians to venues across the country," said Bob Ingalls, president of Verizon Retail Markets. "Verizon knows the value of connecting artists and audiences through the company's long history of sponsoring music events such as the Verizon Music Festival and this year's Grammy Awards. We are pleased to support this tour and the art of jazz." Host presenters will engage NEA Jazz Masters at their facilities beginning in late May 2005. The full schedule of artists and dates is in formation as of this writing. A continuously updated calendar of artists and dates will be maintained on the NEA Jazz Masters web site at www.neajazzmasters.org. Established in 1982, the NEA Jazz Masters program honors living legends for their exceptional contributions to jazz and helps to connect them, and their music, to the American people through broadcasts, publications, educational initiatives, and NEA Jazz Masters on Tour. The NEA Jazz Masters Initiative is sponsored by Verizon. For more information on NEA Jazz Masters, the public is invited to visit the web site, at www.neajazzmasters.org About the National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts has taken a leadership role in supporting jazz artists and organizations since 1970, providing millions of dollars in grants and awards. The Arts Endowment is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts - both new and established - bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Endowment is the nation's largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases. About Verizon With more than $71 billion in annual revenues, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services. Verizon has a diverse work force of more than 210,000 in four business units: Domestic Telecom serves customers based in 29 states with wireline telecommunications services, including broadband and other services. Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 43.8 million voice and data customers across the United States. Information Services operates directory publishing businesses and provides electronic commerce services. International includes wireline and wireless operations and investments, primarily in the Americas and Europe. For more information, visit www.verizon.com. About Arts Midwest Arts Midwest is a non-profit regional arts organization headquartered in Minneapolis, MN which serves audiences, arts organizations, and artists with high-quality cultural activities in a spectrum of artistic genres. Throughout our programming, Arts Midwest maintains a commitment to artistic quality and to reaching underserved audiences and communities. With a history spanning 25 years, Arts Midwest's mission is to connect people throughout the Midwest and the world to meaningful arts opportunities, sharing creativity, knowledge, and understanding across boundaries. For more information, visit www.artsmidwest.org. NEA Jazz Masters on Tour Presenters
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