Tri-C JazzFest Receives MLK Service in the Arts Award From Cleveland Orchestra

Recognition presented at celebration concert for positive impact on music and arts

In recognition of its impact on music and the arts, Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland, presented by KeyBank, received the 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Service in the Arts Awards from the Cleveland Orchestra. The annual award recognizes individuals and organizations that reflect the spirit, teachings and example of King.

Terri Pontremoli, Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland director, accepted the award at the orchestra’s 44^th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert at Severance Concert Center.

Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland was one of three recipients of this year’s award.

Founded in 1980 by Thom Horning and Reginald Buckner, Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland honors the history and fosters the future of jazz, provides educational opportunities for students year-round, and brings world-class jazz to Cleveland. The annual three-day festival celebrates its 45th anniversary this June, with performances by nearly 500 artists on indoor and outdoor stages in historic Playhouse Square.

DownBeat magazine called Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland "the type of diverse, top-tier talent typically found at a much larger festival, along with some adventurous programming that was spiced with compelling international flavors."

Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland’s educational component connects students of all ages with local and international jazz artists, ensuring the future of the art form in Northeast Ohio. Outreach programming provides free cultural access to Cleveland’s underserved population.
 
"Tri-C JazzFest has a long-standing commitment to providing community access to music education, advocacy for music and the arts, and creating platforms for minorities to perform,” one nominator wrote. "Tri-C JazzFest led the charge in honoring the legacy of Carl Stokes, an important champion of social justice and civil rights, in its 'Mayor and the People' commemorative concert. Tri-C JazzFest has commissioned work from American composers such as Terence Blanchard, Gerald Clayton, and Christian McBride."
 
Read more at Broadway World.

January 24, 2024

MEDIA CONTACT: Anthony Moujaes, 216-987-3068 or anthony.moujaes@tri-c.edu