Congratulations to our 2025 Strayhorn Scholarship Award recipient from the Berklee College of Music piano and composition audition, Lucas Labeau. Lucas, who is a freshman at Berklee, hails from Greendale, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee. He graduated from Greendale High School. Lucas started playing classical piano at 4 years old and classical violin at 8. He developed a love for jazz in those early years as well. Some of the other college offers Lucas entertained were from the Manhattan School of Music, The New School in NYC and the Thornton School of Music at USC before deciding on Berklee.

Some of his piano influences in jazz include Art Tatum, Bud Powell, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Sullivan Fortner. Classical piano influences for Lucas include Ravel, Debussy and Sergei Rachmaninoff. Jason Yeager, associate professor of piano at Berklee had the following to say about the competition and Lucas: “We had a very talented pool of 14 students, and our winner was Lucas. He astounded us with a trio original composition, and a solo version of Strayhorn’s ‘Isfahan.’ The concert will be in the February 27th-29th window and it will be streaming. Ever Up and Onward!”

A special thanks to Berklee and professor Jason Yeager for collaborating with the Billy Strayhorn Foundation for the second year to bring about such amazing talent to showcase with this piano and composition audition. We send a big congrats to Lucas also for his standout performance and the many musical talents he is excelling in. We look forward to the Keys Fest concert featuring Lucas in February and leave you with Billy Strayhorn’s inspirational words…”Ever Up and Onward.”

The Kelly Strayhorn Theater will invite audiences to experience a sizzling new take on the art of KST’s legendary namesakes at SUITE LIFE: A Celebration of Billy Strayhorn & Gene Kelly. This year’s annual benefit on Saturday, November 30th, will begin with an exclusive VIP Soundcheck at 5:30pm, followed by a 7:30pm concert offering Afro-Cuban riffs on Strayhorn’s beloved jazz classics. Suite Life will be directed by Pria Dahiya, with musical director Hugo Cruz leading an outstanding ensemble of musicians, including Degnis Bofill, Chantal Joseph, Mike Tomaro, Joe Sheehan, and Brian Stahurski. 

An annual high point of the long weekend in the East End, Suite Life is both a popular holiday tradition and an opportunity to invest in a pillar of Pittsburgh’s creative community. KST is excited to welcome Musical Director and percussionist Hugo Cruz in bringing Strayhorn’s jazz staples to life. Cruz is a Cuban-born composer and musician who has performed at venues including Havana’s Fábrica de Artes, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival. Hugo Cruz will bring these influences to Suite Life with a talented roster of musicians. The lineup of performers will include Chantal Joseph, Brian Stahurski, pianist Joe Sheehan, vocalist and percussionist Degnis Bofill, and saxophonist Mike Tomar. 

Prior to the concert, attendees can gain exclusive, behind-the-scenes insights into the making of Suite Life at the VIP Soundcheck. The theme of the VIP event, a Flower is a Lovesome Thing, takes its name from a classic Strayhorn tune. From 5:30pm – 7:00pm KST welcomes VIP sponsor &Flowers, who will lead a collaborative flower pressing activity in the lobby. Anyone who participates will take home their one-of-a-kind print, courtesy of &Flowers and VIP gift sponsor BonBon Press, who designed and printed the edition on an original Heidelberg Windmill letterpress. VIP patrons will have the opportunity to mix and mingle over a signature seasonal cocktail and mocktail from TLC Libations and elevated hors d’oeuvres before a VIP-only performance from Hugo Cruz and his ensemble. 

Tickets for the event will start at $35. For more information visit kelly-strayhorn.org