Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Wilmington, N.C.- The C.D. Spangler Foundation of Charlotte, N.C. has granted $667,000 to the University of North Carolina Wilmington to establish the Thomas S. Kenan III Distinguished Professor of Jazz in the Department of Music.

When matched with $333,000 from the State of North Carolina's Distinguished Professors Endowment Trust Fund, the professorship in jazz will be endowed at $1 million, the first such professorship in the Department of Music. The position will be used to recruit a nationally/ internationally recognized jazz performer and teacher specializing on a jazz rhythm section instrument, such as piano, bass or drums.

"The intent of this proposal is to develop an apprenticeship-learning environment for UNC Wilmington, as well as for area high school students, with a nationally recognized musician," said Frank Bongiorno, chair of the Department of Music. "This position will enhance and complement the various areas of teaching specialties of the current UNCW music faculty."

The Kenan Distinguished Professor of Jazz will present a series of master classes in lecture, performance and one-on-one formats with the students, as well as present public lectures and performances. In addition, the distinguished professor will work closely with the jazz program director and will be directly involved with the annual Jazz Festival and summer workshops as well as numerous jazz outreach projects.

Over the past 15 years, the UNCW Jazz Program has received accolades and awards on the national and international levels in recognition of the high performance quality of its ensembles, as well as the quality and talent of individual students within the program. Each year the jazz program hosts a non-competitive band festival competition for high school jazz bands throughout the state and region. The program also offers the only summer jazz workshop for high school students in North Carolina.

"This award is incredibly exciting for the Department of Music and for UNC Wilmington," said Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo. "This support from the Spangler Foundation will allow us to recruit and hire a distinguished professor of national and international renown, helping to enhance the growing reputation of the UNCW Jazz Program as one of the premier programs of its kind, not only in the state and region but also in the nation."

The C. D. Spangler Foundation proposed two new challenge grants that together would provide $26.9 million from the foundation to support the creation of up to 96 distinguished professorships within the University of North Carolina system. The North Carolina General Assembly approved $14 million in matching funds for the new distinguished professorships. The program for 2007-2008 will provide full private funding for an endowed distinguished professorship at each of the 16 UNC campuses. The Spangler Foundation chose to honor Thomas S. Kenan III in naming UNCW's distinguished professorship because of the family's long and close ties to Wilmington and the university, as well as to recognize the great support he and his family have given to UNCW for many years.

Media contacts:

Dr. Frank Bongiorno, chair of the Department of Music, 910.962.3390 or bongiornof@uncw.edu

Dana Fischetti, manager of news and media relations, 910.962.7259 or fischettid@uncw.edu