From Staff Reports

news@farmersvilletimes.com

Award-winning composer and alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa will be the special guest at this year’s Texas All-Star Jazz Camp. The camp, which features free nightly concerts, is from Sunday to Saturday, July 18-24 at the Spring Creek Campus.

The New York Times praised Mahanthappa for possessing “a roving intellect and a blakelike articulation.” Mahanthappa has been awarded a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, two New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowships and commissions from the Rockefeller Foundation MAP Fund, Chamber Music America and the American Composers Forum.

He has been named saxophonist of the year numerous times by Downbeat’s International Critics Polls, JazzTimes’ Critics Polls and the Jazz Journalists’ Association.

The Texas All-Star Jazz Camp combines more than 100 students with the faculty big band, featuring professional jazz artists who have performed with jazz legends such as Count Basie, Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson and Buddy Rich.

Nightly concerts featuring the camp faculty big band will be presented free to the public at 7:30 p.m. July 23. The student big bands will perform at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 24. All concerts are in the John Anthony Theatre on the Spring Creek Campus.

A few camper spots are still available for students age 13 and up with at least one year of experience on their instruments. Students who play trumpet, trombone, saxophones, bass, piano, guitar and drums are encouraged to apply.

Tuition and fees for campers range from $265-$310.

For more information, call Kevin McNerney at 972-881-5620 or email [email protected].