NEW ORLEANS, LA - On Monday, April 2, 2007, the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz will formally announce the relocation of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance graduate-level college program from Los Angeles to the campus of Loyola University New Orleans.

The program, which kicks off National Jazz Appreciation Month and is part of the Institute's “Commitment to New Orleans," is associated with the New Orleans Consortium, which includes Tulane University, the University of New Orleans, and three Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Dillard, Southern, and Xavier.

The Institute will also introduce the new class of top young musicians who will begin studying at the Jazz Performance program at Loyola in August.

Jazz legends Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and New Orleans native, Terence Blanchard will join the incoming class for performances during the announcement celebration.

Following the announcement and reception, the Institute will begin its “Jazz in America" program with an informational performance led by jazz sensations Bobby Watson and Lisa Henry for McMain High School students. As McMain's auditorium is still in need of repair after Hurricane Katrina, the program will be held at Loyola's Roussel Performance Hall.

WHAT:
Announcement Celebration of the Institute of Jazz Performance Program at Loyola University, Reception, and Jazz in America Informational Performance

WHERE:
Louis J. Roussel Performance Hall
Loyola University
6363 St. Charles Avenue
(Corner of St. Charles Ave. & Calhoun St.)
New Orleans, LA

WHEN:
Monday, April 2, 2007 at 11:00am
10:00am Press registration/set-up opens
11:00am Announcement Program begins
Interviews are available following announcement program
12:00pm Reception begins (media are invited)
1:30pm Jazz in America Informational Performance for McMain High School Students

Background on the Institute's “Commitment to New Orleans"
On Monday, April 2, the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz will announce the launch of the largest program initiative in the Institute's twenty-year history. The “Commitment to New Orleans" is a four year investment aimed to help in the revitalization and restoration of post Katrina New Orleans using jazz as a catalyst to bring people together in the spirit of America's music. This will be the first time in the Institute's history that one program will embody the entire mission of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz to foster the next generation of jazz greats, educate young people about jazz, and help to expand and perpetuate the music while engaging the Institute's students and jazz artists in various community service projects throughout New Orleans.

At the core of the “Commitment to New Orleans" is the relocation of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance, the Institute's prestigious graduate-level college program, to the campus of Loyola University New Orleans in association with the New Orleans Consortium, which includes Tulane University, the University of New Orleans, and three Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Dillard, Southern, and Xavier.

The Institute has also pledged to implement sustainable public school and community jazz education programs to help strengthen the struggling school system, provide employment for New Orleans musicians, attract New Orleans musicians now living in other areas of the country back to their hometown, and unite the city's jazz, arts, and cultural communities.

About the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz
The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit educational organization established in 1986 by the Monk family and the late Maria Fisher, founder of the Beethoven Society of America. The Institute was created in memory of Thelonious Monk, the legendary jazz pianist and composer who believed the best way to learn jazz was from a master of the music. The Institute follows that same philosophy and for the past 20 years has brought young aspiring jazz artists together with renowned jazz musicians. The Institute is devoted to the preservation of jazz and the continued expansion of this truly American musical art form.

About Loyola's College of Music and Fine Arts
Loyola's College of Music and Fine Arts provides students with an opportunity to pursue both a strong foundation in the liberal arts and professional training in the performing and fine arts. In this fashion, students can study subjects such as history and philosophy along with graphic design, music therapy, performance, sculpture, and stagecraft. The College of Music and Fine Arts prides itself on the relationship between its faculty and students and its comprehensive array of opportunities for performances, exhibits, and ensembles which afford students the opportunity to present their work on a consistent basis. The low ratio of students to faculty enables a strong emphasis on individual student attention and individual instruction.