A Tribute to Jazz Piano

The Dix Hills Performing Arts Center Presents:
A Tribute to Jazz Piano with Pianist Ted Rosenthal & the FTC Jazz Piano Greats

Renowned Jazz artist and music educator to headline here Oct. 28, at 7:30 p.m.

October 11, 2011, Dix Hills, NY --
The Dix Hills Performing Arts Center presents a tribute to Jazz piano with pianist Ted Rosenthal and the Five Towns College Jazz Piano Greats under the musical direction of Professor Scott Ballin, Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20, $15 for seniors and $10 for students.

Ted Rosenthal first achieved international recognition by winning first prize in the second annual Thelonius Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. Since that time he has performed with many of the jazz greats of our time, including Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Phil Woods, Bob Brookmeyer, Jon Faddis, Benny Golson and James Moody, to name a few.
Ted has released a dozen CDs to date as a band leader, featuring new treatments and “derangements” of jazz standards, as well as some original compositions. His ability to communicate both the creative and analytical aspects of jazz translates from the bandstand to the educational arena.  Ted was born and raised in Great Neck, where he began playing by ear at a young age. At 12 he started studying with Tony Aless, a sideman with Charlie Parker and Stan Getz. In high school, Ted studied briefly with Jaki Byard and Lennie Tristano, and he attended workshops with Billy Taylor, Woody Shaw and others.

Although jazz was Ted's main passion, at the time there were limited opportunities to study jazz at the conservatory level. Since he also found satisfaction and joy in classical music, Ted decided to pursue classical piano studies at Manhattan School of Music. He received Bachelors and Masters Degrees in piano performance while continuing to pursue his love of jazz outside the classroom. After college, he continued his classical piano studies with Phillip Kawin while playing jazz in and around New York. 
Winning the Monk Competition in 1988 launched Ted's career as a solo artist, leading to the release of his first CD as a leader. New Tunes, New Traditions, featuring now-legendary personnel Ron Carter, Billy Higgins and Tom Harrell, interweaves music of Thelonious Monk with Ted's original compositions.

Ted toured in the early 1990s with the last Gerry Mulligan Quartet. He recorded three CDs with Mulligan and performed in major jazz festivals throughout the world. One critic noted, "The rapport of the (Mulligan) group was amazing, particularly Gerry's telepathic communication with outstanding pianist Ted Rosenthal.... The byplay with Rosenthal left me with my jaw hanging down." (Gene Lees, The Jazz Letter.) After Mulligan's death, Ted became musical director of The Gerry Mulligan All Star Tribute Band, featuring Lee Konitz, Bob Brookmeyer and Randy Brecker. The group's CD, Thank You, Gerry!  was nominated for a Grammy award in 1998.
As a busy sideman, Ted has performed in small groups led by Art Farmer, Jon Faddis, Phil Woods, Wycliffe Gordon and Jay Leonhart. He has also performed with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band and The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Rosenthal is the pianist of choice for many top jazz vocalists including Helen Merrill, Mark Murphy and Ann Hampton Callaway.

The Dix Hills Performing Arts Center at Five Towns College is one of Long Island’s most vibrant cultural organizations, combining the finest in world-class music and performance education in our acoustically superior theater. Five Towns College, founded in 1972, as a community resource for jazz/commercial music education, and today’s Dix Hills Performing Arts Center, provide entertainment, education and inspiration for more than 20,000 Long Islanders each year.

The Dix Hills Performing Arts Center is located at Five Towns College, 305 North Service Road, Dix Hills, New York, 11746-5857. For more information and ticket sales, please contact the Dix Hills Performing Arts Center box office at (631) 656-2148 or visit online at www.DHPAC.org *Become a fan on Facebook (Dix Hills Performing Arts Center).