The Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Vocals Competition and All-Star Gala Concert, presented by the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, will take place Nov. 14-15 in Los Angeles. This year’s competition will feature young jazz vocalists who will perform before a panel of vocalists including Patti Austin, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Freddy Cole, Al Jarreau and Luciana Souza. Producer, composer and bandleader Quincy Jones will receive the Institute’s 2015 Herbie Hancock Humanitarian Award.

The competition semifinals will be held on Nov. 14 from 12 to 5 p.m. at Schoenberg Hall on the UCLA campus. Each semifinalist will perform for 15 minutes, accompanied by pianist Reginald Thomas, bassist Rodney Whitaker and drummer Carl Allen. Three finalists will be selected to participate in the Finals on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. They will vie for scholarships and prizes totaling more than $100,000 including a $25,000 first place scholarship and a guaranteed recording contract with Concord Music Group.

Immediately following the three finalists’ performances at the competition finals, an all-star gala concert on Nov. 15 will perform in tribute to Quincy Jones. Herbie Hancock, Andy Garcia, Jeff Goldblum and Seth MacFarlane will host the event. Artists confirmed to date include Patti Austin, George Benson, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Terri Lyne Carrington, Freddy Cole, Dave Grusin, Jimmy Heath, Paul Jackson Jr., Al Jarreau, Hubert Laws, Gretchen Parlato, Arturo Sandoval, Wayne Shorter, Luciana Souza, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Ben Williams and others. John Beasley will serve as the evening’s musical director.

Also performing in the festivities will be the seven young musicians who attend the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance graduate level college program at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

Proceeds from the competition and concert will support the Institute’s public school jazz education programs across the U.S. and around the globe. All of the Institute’s education programs are provided free of charge to students, schools and communities worldwide.

Ticket Information

Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Vocals Competition Semifinals
Saturday, November 14, 2015, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.—UCLA Schoenberg Hall, Los Angeles. Tickets are free of charge and will be distributed at 11 a.m. on a first-come basis.

Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Vocals Competition Finals & All-Star Gala Concert
Sunday, November 15, 2015, 7 p.m.—Dolby Theatre, Hollywood. Tickets start at $40 and may be purchased at Dolby Theatre. For premium orchestra level tickets and tax-deductible gala packages, visit Monk Gala or call 202-364-7272.