Queens College to Honor the Late Jimmy Heath, World -Renowned Jazz Master and Music Professor, In Benefit Concert may 21
— Proceeds Will Benefit the Jimmy Heath Scholarship Endowment Fund in the College’s Jazz Studies Program, Which Heath Founded and Where He Taught for Over 20 Years —
“This is a wonderful tribute to an iconic musician, composer, educator and mentor,” says Queens College President Frank H. Wu. “The college derives enormous pride from Jimmy Heath’s longstanding association with our renowned Aaron Copland School of Music. He rendered outstanding service as a professor and founder of its Jazz Department and served as the guiding force behind the development of its master’s program curriculum. We joyfully join with his family, friends and all New Yorkers in celebrating Jimmy Heath’s dynamic music, wonderful life and enduring legacy. His cultural and educational contributions will continue to thrive through the establishment of the Jimmy Heath Scholarship Fund at Queens College to help support students in their quest to become a part of the next generation of great musical artists.”
Heath, who died in 2020, was a world-renowned, Grammy-nominated jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, big band leader, and mentor to countless musicians. Heath was also an author and advisory board member of the Louis Armstrong House Museum, where he contributed to efforts to preserve Armstrong’s legacy.
Antonio Hart, director of the Jazz Studies program and Heath’s devoted former student, has organized the event. Hart himself is a Grammy-nominated saxophonist and composer. The concert will be presented in person and livestreamed.
On Friday, May 20, at 2:30 pm, James Edward Heath Way will be unveiled at 114th Street and 34th Avenue, in Corona, New York, to honor Heath, who was a Corona resident. Council Member Francisco Moya will host the event with the participation of Queens College President Frank H. Wu, Hart, and Heath’s family members. The Louis Armstrong Elementary School (P.S. 134) Glee Club and Band will perform in Heath’s honor.
WHEN: Saturday, May 21, at 7 pm
WHERE: LeFrak Concert Hall | Queens College Aaron Copland School of Music
65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367
TICKETS: In-Person Concert Tickets: $25 General, $10 Students
Livestream Broadcast Tickets: $10 minimum donation
Tickets are available from the Kupferberg Center for the Arts Box Office.
BackgroundThe Master of Music in Jazz Studies offered through the Aaron Copland School of Music (ACSM) at Queens College includes private instruction, jazz ensembles, and studies in jazz harmony, improvisation, arranging, recording techniques, and other subjects suited to the needs of today’s jazz musician. Students may major in either jazz performance or jazz composition.
The School of Music offers three music undergraduate degrees—general music (BA), Performance (B.Mus), and Music Education (B.Mus/Ed)—through rigorous academic courses in theory, history, ear-training, sight-singing and performance. All students in all undergraduate programs take private lessons as part of their degree requirements in the college’s dedicated music building, which features a music library with more than 35,000 scores, 30,000 books and 20,000 recordings, and the award-winning LeFrak Concert Hall, celebrated for its acoustics and the Maynard-Walker Memorial organ. ACSM produces over 300 concerts a year including recitals; orchestral, choral, and chamber programs; performances of early music; and opera productions.