KU News Release

Andrew Linn

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More Information

• School of Music

LAWRENCE — A spring 2010 University of Kansas graduate is a winner of the New York Youth Symphony’s First Music program in the Jazz Band Classic category.

Andrew Linn, of Chesterfield, Mo., will receive a $1,000 commission to write an eight- to nine-minute big band work to be premiered May 24, 2011, in the Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.

The First Music program was created to commission America’s best emerging composers under the age of 30. First Music began in 1984 with the commissioning of three young composers to write works for premiere in Carnegie Hall and has since expanded to programs in chamber music and jazz. Three awards are given seasonally for orchestral compositions and one each for chamber music and jazz.

Linn began studying composition in spring 2009 with Dan Gailey, director of jazz studies at KU. He earned a bachelor’s in trumpet performance on May 16 and plans to attend the University of Northern Colorado to pursue a graduate degree in jazz studies. While studying at KU, Linn was a member of KU Jazz Combos I and II and KU Jazz Ensemble I. Linn was recently selected as the undergraduate winner for Best Original Composition in DownBeat magazine’s 33rd annual Student Music Awards.

He is the son of Mark and Jennifer Linn and a graduate of Parkway Central High School.

“It will be my first visit to New York City when I travel to Lincoln Center next year,” said Linn. “I can’t imagine a better way to make this visit. Being able to collaborate with the Jazz Band Classic and have them perform want of my works would have been unfathomable a year ago. These awards I have received in the last few months are a testament to the great teachers I have had here at KU and the four years of sweat put into becoming the best musician I can be.”