Thanks to a multi-year leadership gift from the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, Levine’s jazz program will now be known as the Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Program. This generous support will expand jazz education and performance opportunities across Levine, creating new opportunities for young musicians to grow, collaborate, and perform.
“This gift will truly transform jazz education at Levine,” said Jeffery Tribble, Jr., President and CEO of Levine Music. “Ella Fitzgerald’s artistry and enduring influence represent the kind of excellence we want our students to experience and learn from. We are so grateful to the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation for helping us pair that commitment to excellence with greater opportunity, creating new pathways for young musicians while making jazz accessible to people throughout our community.”
A New Ensemble for Young Jazz Musicians
At the heart of the expanded program will be the Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Combo, our new premier jazz ensemble for advanced young musicians. Students accepted into this audition-based group will receive scholarships supporting their musical study, along with opportunities for intensive ensemble work, coaching, and performance.
The Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Program will also bring together our full range of jazz offerings, including private lessons, classes, ensembles, JazzFest, and our jazz and blues jams throughout the year.
New Leadership for Jazz at Levine
Levine faculty member and drummer Kelton Norris has been appointed the Ella Fitzgerald Chair of Jazz and Contemporary Studies and will lead the expanded program. Kelton has led the Levine Jazz Band since 2025.
“Jazz is built on listening, collaboration, creativity, and learning from the musicians around you,” said Kelton. “With the support of the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, we can give more young musicians the support they need to take their playing to the next level and become part of a larger jazz community in the DC region.”
We’re grateful to the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation for this extraordinary investment in our students and in the future of jazz education across our region.
Interested in the Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Combo?
Applications for the new combo are now open. Contact Kelton Norris at knorris@levinemusic.org to arrange an audition.