Two UNT College of Music students receive Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer awards

Friday, February 14, 2014 - 21:52
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DENTON, Texas (UNT) – A senior and a doctoral student studying jazz at UNT's College of Music were among only 27 composers nationwide who recently received Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer awards.

Established by The ASCAP Foundation in 2002 to encourage gifted jazz composers under the age of 30, the winners from UNT are senior Addison Frei, who also won the award last year, and doctoral student Keith Karns.

The award carries the name of the great trumpeter and ASCAP member Herb Alpert. The recipients, who receive cash awards, range in age from 11 to 29, and are selected through a juried national competition. The Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award Winners will be honored during ASCAP's Jazz Wall of Fame event on June 9, 2014 at the New York Institute of Technology in New York City.

Frei, a native of Lawrence, Kan., was recognized by UNT College of Music faculty as the 2013 Outstanding Undergraduate Jazz Studies Student. The pianist was also recognized as a 2013 Yamaha Young Performing Artist and participated in the 2013 Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead residency at the Kennedy Center.

Karns, a native of Alaska, has a song featured on the One O'Clock Lab Band's Lab 2013 CD. He directs UNT's Six O'Clock Lab Band and, on his own time, leads a 17-member big band and a quintet. A composer and trumpet player, Karns was a finalist in the 2007 National Trumpet Competition and the 2010 OWL Studios Emerging Jazz Artist Competition.

About the UNT College of Music

The UNT College of Music is one of the largest and most respected comprehensive music schools in the country. More than 1,600 music students attend UNT each year, participating in more than 50 widely varied ensembles and pursuing specialized studies in performance, composition, music education or music scholarship. UNT faculty members and students have made appearances on the world's finest stages and have produced numerous recordings, many receiving Grammy awards and nominations. Distinguished UNT alumni can be found around the globe, in top music ensembles, opera companies, universities and schools.

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