Congratulations to Brenten Handfield, 2021 recipient of the Billy Strayhorn Jazz Education Scholarship Award for the Litchfield Jazz Camp

Congratulations to Brenten Handfield, percussionist from Miami, Florida, who was our 2nd recipient of the Billy Strayhorn Jazz Education Scholarship Award from the Litchfield Jazz Camp for 2021. This is the first year that Brenten has attended the camp in Connecticut, and it definitely was a great experience for him. We are happy to welcome Brenten as another Strayhorn Scholarship recipient who was able to attend this prestigious summer jazz camp.

The Billy Strayhorn Jazz Education Scholarship Award was established in 2008 by Billy Strayhorn Songs, Inc. to recognize students, teachers, and institutions that display through performance and instruction a strong passion for playing, studying and perpetuating jazz. The Billy Strayhorn Foundation has managed the award since 2010. The award recognizes that the perpetuation of jazz will come only through future generations of performers. Given annually, the BSJESA promotes the values to which Billy Strayhorn adhered in his musical life namely, personal integrity, commitment to excellence, and perseverance.

If you would like to donate to our Scholarship funding, please visit our Contact Page on this website, and fill out the e-mail information with a request to have us contact you with donation information.

Photo by Stephan Papandrea

Congratulations to 2021 Billy Strayhorn Jazz Education Scholarship Award Recipient for the Litchfield Jazz Camp- Ruby Farmer

Congratulations Ruby Farmer, one of 2 recipients for the Litchfield Jazz Camp, receiving the 2021 Billy Strayhorn Jazz Education Scholarship Award. Ruby is a bassist from Brooklyn, New York who is multi talented. Along with singing, she is a trained classical guitarist. An awesome talent at 15 years old! We congratulate Ruby and are excited about all of her future musical endeavors.

This is the 6th year that the Billy Strayhorn Foundation has awarded scholarship funds to support the attendance of young up and coming musicians at the Litchfield Jazz Camp. Kudos to Executive Director/Founder Vita Muir and jazz camp directors and musicians Albert Rivera and Don Braden for the great selection of Strayhorn Scholarship recipients they choose each year.

Founded in 1997, Litchfield Jazz Camp™ now serves 70-150 residential and day students each week for 1 to 4 week sessions on the campus of The Frederick Gunn School, an independent boarding and day school in Washington, Connecticut. Run by Litchfield Performing Arts, a charitable organization dedicated to changing lives through music, the Camp’s philosophy is simple. We start with a faculty of amazing and inspiring jazz musicians. To that we add eager music students in a non-competitive program. Litchfield Jazz Camp™ embraces all learners – students 13 years to adult, beginners, intermediate and advanced players, students with learning disabilities, and others. For more information on the Litchfield Jazz Camp- go to: litchfieldjazzcamp.com.

Photo by Stephan Papandrea