Philadelphia, PA (March 25, 2019) — Following the immense artistic success of JAZZED! The Philly POPS BIG Band with Terell Stafford in January, The Philly POPS has designated Terell Stafford as the Artistic Director for Jazz for The Philly POPS.
As the Artistic Director for Jazz, Terell will continue to direct the All-city Jazz Orchestra, continuing this five-year-old partnership between the School District of Philadelphia and the POPS. Terell will expand The Philly POPS’ POPS in Schools programming to include new opportunities—bringing credentialed jazz musicians to schools throughout the School District of Philadelphia, while creating programs to bring student performers into the concert hall. The Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia, which Terell also directs, will be presented by The Philly POPS—creating The Philly POPS Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia, and adding the jazz orchestra’s performances to The Philly POPS’ roster of activities.
“On behalf of the School District of Philadelphia and the All-city Jazz program, we are excited to learn of Terell Stafford’s new appointment as Artistic Director for Jazz at The Philly POPS!” said Frank Machos, Executive Director of the Office of The Arts & Academic Enrichment for the School District of Philadelphia. “Through the collaboration between Terell, The POPS, and our District Music Educators in recent years, we have seen incredible growth of All-city Jazz and the opportunities for our students to experience some of the best in jazz education. We are thrilled to know that this will continue to expand and impact even more students in the years ahead.”
This season, The Philly POPS has presented three highly-reviewed jazz shows, all of which have celebrated the past, present, and future of jazz music. January’s JAZZED! show was particularly important—it traced the history of jazz in Philadelphia, and symbolically passed the torch with a performance of Blue Monk, where Christian McBride played bass alongside Dan McCain, a University of the Arts student and four-year member of All-city Jazz. Next season, the POPS will continue to celebrate jazz music with SINATRA: A Man and His Music.
“Jazz has always been a personal favorite of mine, so I’m thrilled to announce this collaboration with Philly’s own Terell Stafford,” said Frank Giordano, President and CEO of The Philly POPS. “I am looking forward to presenting The Philly POPS Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia’s performances over these next years. We admire his work in education, both at Temple University and with the All-City Jazz program, and we look to his leadership as we ramp up our POPS in Schools programming with the School District of Philadelphia. Terell is the perfect educator to shape the jazz musicians of tomorrow.”
A renowned and multifaceted jazz musician, Terell’s album BrotherLee Love, Celebrating Lee Morgan received a 47th annual NAACP Image Award Nomination. His most recent album, Family Feeling, was released in 2018 under BCM&D Records. Terell has won a GRAMMY award as a member of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra for the album Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard in 2009 and has been nominated for seven GRAMMY awards for his performances with the Clayton Brothers, Diana Krall, Bobby Watson, and more.
Terell is the Director of Jazz Studies and Chair of Instrumental Studies at Temple University. For his work as an educator, Terell received Temple's “Creative Achievement Award.” Terell has conducted the All-city Jazz Orchestra, an all-audition honor band created through a partnership with the School District of Philadelphia and the POPS, since its creation in 2015. With this new appointment, he will help expand the All-city Jazz program’s footprint—helping raise the city’s next generation of jazz musicians and music lovers.
