Spring Break
Annual jazz festival returns to Twilight
JOHN BARRETT
Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: Out & About
When selecting a soundtrack for a bicycle event, jazz might not be the most obvious choice - but when coupled with the Athens Twilight Criterium bicycle race, one of The Classic City's most enduring and beloved traditions, this American musical tradition is a surprising fit.
The University and Twilight Criterium will host the second annual UGA/Athens Twilight Jazz Festival this Friday and Saturday.
Though this festival commenced only last year, Athens is no stranger to showcasing jazz. The idea to host it stemmed from two local festivals prevalent in the '80s and '90s - namely the late director of University bands Ron Dancz's competition-oriented Festival of Champions and a now-defunct version of the Twilight Jazz Festival.
Where: Downtown; Hugh Hodgson School of Music; Performing Arts Center
Price: Free
"[The old festival] used to be associated with Twilight Criterium, but it really didn't involve the University in the way that it does now," said Dr. Mitos Andaya, associate director of choral activities at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, who is in charge of the Jazz Festival.
"It's been kind of an on-and-off thing," she said. "They tried to revive it in 2000 or 2001, roughly, and then that stopped."
But the festival's new manifestation is more than just a revival; it's a fusion of goals and objectives.
"Our idea was to try to bring back both of those concepts of the festival: bringing other school ensembles from various parts of Georgia here to campus while also combining the community aspect," Andaya said.
As testament to the dual purpose it serves, the jazz festival will be dispersed among three different sites. The Twilight outdoor stage, located downtown on College Avenue, centers around the Athens community.
Conversely, the School of Music and Performing Arts Center provide educational focus, with instrumental clinics and master classes open to the general public.
The University and Twilight Criterium will host the second annual UGA/Athens Twilight Jazz Festival this Friday and Saturday.
Though this festival commenced only last year, Athens is no stranger to showcasing jazz. The idea to host it stemmed from two local festivals prevalent in the '80s and '90s - namely the late director of University bands Ron Dancz's competition-oriented Festival of Champions and a now-defunct version of the Twilight Jazz Festival.
Twilight Jazz Festival
When: Noon to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. SaturdayWhere: Downtown; Hugh Hodgson School of Music; Performing Arts Center
Price: Free
"[The old festival] used to be associated with Twilight Criterium, but it really didn't involve the University in the way that it does now," said Dr. Mitos Andaya, associate director of choral activities at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, who is in charge of the Jazz Festival.
"It's been kind of an on-and-off thing," she said. "They tried to revive it in 2000 or 2001, roughly, and then that stopped."
But the festival's new manifestation is more than just a revival; it's a fusion of goals and objectives.
"Our idea was to try to bring back both of those concepts of the festival: bringing other school ensembles from various parts of Georgia here to campus while also combining the community aspect," Andaya said.
As testament to the dual purpose it serves, the jazz festival will be dispersed among three different sites. The Twilight outdoor stage, located downtown on College Avenue, centers around the Athens community.
Conversely, the School of Music and Performing Arts Center provide educational focus, with instrumental clinics and master classes open to the general public.
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