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26th Annual Jazzathon And John Kirby Day Celebration Combined event hosted by Shenandoah Conservatory, NAACP of Winchester and Old Town Winchester Partnership

Winchester, Virginia – Shenandoah Conservatory, the NAACP of Winchester and Old Town Winchester partnered this year to combine the John Kirby Day Celebration with the 26th Annual Jazzathon on Friday, April 20, at 8 p.m. through 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 21. This year’s event honors the contributions of Winchester-born jazz musician John Kirby.

“The partnership with the NAACP and Old Town Winchester brings new meaning to the Jazzathon,” said Associate Professor of Jazz Piano Robert Larson ’08, D.M.A. “Celebrating John Kirby, which has been a separate celebration for years, is a natural fit with the Jazzathon.”

The 24-hour event kicks off at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 20, at the Bright Box Theater (15 N Loudoun St) with a performance by the Shenandoah Conservatory Little Big Band featuring guest artists Tom Williams on trumpet and Charlie Young on alto saxophone. General admission tickets are $12. Additional performances, which will continue on campus and on the Old Town Winchester walking mall, are free and open to the public.

The annual Jazzathon features 24 hours of continuous jazz performances to help raise funds to support jazz studies students at Shenandoah. There are two ways to support this year’s Jazzathon: (1) Jazz students obtain pledges (similar to a walk-a-thon) and (2) supporters can give one-time donations through the Shenandoah University Office of Advancement at securelb.imodules.com/s/921/index.aspx?sid=921&gid=1&pgid=847&cid=2665&appealcode=WPadvancement.

Funds raised in previous years have provided support for guest artists, benefiting students and the greater community, as well as travel opportunities for performing groups. Jazz students and faculty have participated in several performance tours around the world in countries such as China, Senegal, Ireland, Germany, and more.

Visit conservatoryperforms.org for a full schedule of events.

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION:

Event: 26th Annual Jazzathon & John Kirby Day Celebration
Where: Various Locations (Shenandoah University Main Campus and Old Town Winchester)
When: 8 p.m. on Friday, April 20, through 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 21

For a full calendar of events at Shenandoah Conservatory, visit conservatoryperforms.org or Facebook under Shenandoah Conservatory.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Media Information

  • High-resolution photography, including artist headshots and a selection of production images, are available upon request. Full artist biographies are also available upon request.

Shenandoah Conservatory ​is home to more than 700 students enrolled in baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral programs in the areas of music, theatre and dance. Virginia’s oldest and premier center for performing arts training, the conservatory is led by a dynamic faculty composed of performers and scholars of national and international repute.

Shenandoah University was established in 1875, and is headquartered in Winchester, Virginia, with additional educational sites in Clarke, Fairfax and Loudoun counties. Shenandoah is a private, nationally recognized university that blends the best of professional studies and the liberal arts. With nearly 4,000 students in more than 100 academic programs in seven different schools, Shenandoah promotes a close-knit community rich in creative energy and intellectual challenge. Shenandoah students collaborate with accomplished professors who provide focused, individual attention, all the while leading several programs to be highly nationally ranked. Through innovative partnerships and programs at both the local and global level, there are exceptional opportunities for students to learn in and out of the classroom. Shenandoah empowers its students to improve the human condition and to be principled professionals and leaders wherever they go. For more information, visit su.edu.