Congratulations to the 2026 Billy Strayhorn Jazz Education Scholarship Award recipient from Temple University: Anthony Aldissi

Billy Strayhorn Songs Inc. and the Billy Strayhorn Foundation congratulates our 2026 Billy Strayhorn Scholarship recipient from Temple University, Anthony Aldissi. Anthony, who is originally from the St. Petersburg-Clearwater area of Florida, is a masterful pianist who is in his last year of grad school. From a young age, Anthony says that it was his mother who was very encouraging, as well as piano playing being a creative outlet.

Anthony, who will graduate with a masters degree in jazz piano and performance, enjoys playing in jam sessions and gigs that take him from Philly to New York City to Boston. Anthony is honored to receive this award named for Billy Strayhorn, who is one of his favorite composers. He has enjoyed his time at Temple, saying…”Temple has been really great, inclusive and musically inspiring.” Among piano greats, Anthony also finds inspiration from Chick Corea, Joey Calderraza, Mulgrew Miller, Sullivan Fortner and Aaron Parks.

To Anthony, we again give kudos and we wish him nothing but the best as he keeps moving “Ever Up and Onward!”

“Billy Strayhorn: The Man and his Music”-Presented to the University of Louisville Jazz Studies Program.

Galen Demus, nephew of Billy Strayhorn and a University of Louisville alumni himself, connected with Professor Ansyn Banks and his grad level jazz studies class for a fun and informative hour sharing the story and some jazz history about the legendary arranger, composer, lyricist and pianist. Every other year, Professor Banks teaches a semester long class on Duke Ellington and has Galen come in as a surprise guest to give insight on Strayhorn’s musical life before and during the Ellington/Strayhorn collaboration. Thank you to Professor Banks and the U of L Jazz Studies program for providing this jazz education space for students to learn more about the history of these jazz giants and this great music during Jazz Appreciation Month.
Picture–Professor Banks (far left, front row, and the U of L jazz studies class).

April is Jazz Appreciation Month !

April is Jazz Appreciation Month (Known as JAM). Established in 2001 by John Hasse who was with the Smithsonian Museum of American History, JAM celebrates the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz throughout the entire month. It honors jazz as a living, evolving art form with special events, concerts, and jazz education. We proudly start the month off with the 2015 JAM poster highlighting the centennial of arranger, composer, lyricist and pianist…Billy Strayhorn. The poster artist was Keith Henry Brown.

Celebrating Women’s History Month

Billy Strayhorn Songs Inc. and the Billy Strayhorn Foundation celebrated the month of March as Women’s History Month. The celebration and acknowledgement highlights the amazing contribution of women to events in history and contemporary society. With this post, we honor Lillian Strayhorn Young, mother of jazz icon Billy Strayhorn. Lillian was born in Hillsborough, North Carolina in 1891. As a young woman, she attended Shaw University in Raleigh, which was one of the first historically black colleges in the United States, founded immediately after the Civil War. Billy considered his mom his “Satin Doll” whose persistent maternal love and nurturing gave the world a wonderful musical gift…

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