On Saturday, July 8, 2023, Germantown Performing Arts Center (GPAC) will host the concert finale of the Memphis Jazz Workshop Summer Jam program. Under the artistic direction of founder Stephen M. Lee, the Memphis Jazz Workshop is a nonprofit organization committed to cultivating young musicians by providing learning and performance opportunities with professional artists while embracing jazz as the Memphis community’s regional art form. This year’s Summer Jam music camp was open to emerging jazz musicians ages 12 to 18 years old. The curriculum focuses on discipline, work ethic, music education, and ultimately, mastery.
“We have over 60 kids in camp this year,” says Lee. “The concert finale will showcase a wide range of performance levels, from beginners to professionals. We’ve hired returning college students as interns, who will also perform.”
Memphis Jazz Workshop provides music intensives and guidance for middle and high school students. Led by accomplished jazz musician Lee and experienced teachers, students receive jazz-focused instruction and opportunities for growth. In the past, students have gone on to the Lincoln Center Jazz Camp, the Berkeley School of Music Summer Camp, and the NAACP Jazz Competition, as well as All West and All State competitions.
The culminating concert will be held on the Duncan Williams Asset Management Stage in The Grove. The audience is invited to bring their own seating and KB’s Dogs food truck will be on hand. Gates will open at 7:00 p.m. and the performance will begin at 7:30 p.m.
“We want to give a huge thank you to Paul Chandler and the GPAC staff for the opportunity to showcase the Memphis Jazz Workshop 2023 summer finale,” said Lee. “It is a gift to us from GPAC every year to allow us to return.”
Tickets are on sale now at the GPAC website or by calling the box office at (901)751-7500.
About GPAC
Located in the heart of Shelby County, Germantown Performing Arts Center serves the greater Memphis metro area of over a million people and is accessible to all members of the community. GPAC is comprised of the Duncan-Williams Performance Hall, an acoustically perfect, 854-seat venue featuring a sprung pine stage, an elegant green room, five large dressing rooms, and a spacious lobby for entertaining and assembling; The Grove, a dynamic outdoor venue which can accommodate approximately 1200 guests in a lush outdoor setting; and the Watkins Studio Theater, an intimate black box theater. Ray Charles set the bar high when he opened GPAC in 1994, immediately defining this performing arts center as a place where excellence is the norm and where the world comes to perform. GPAC presents world-renowned performing artists in a variety of genres, year-round educational activities for all ages including the GPAC Youth Symphony Program, rotating visual art exhibits, and many community events. The center benefits from a professional infrastructure that possesses a clear direction, strong financial health, professional staff, and a dedicated board of directors.