Elmhurst University has announced a generous gift of $265,000 that will benefit the University’s renowned Jazz Festival and two scholarship programs for students who participate in the Elmhurst University Jazz Band.

Jazz Band alumni and longtime supporters of the annual Jazz Festival, who wish to remain anonymous, recently made a gift commitment to establish the Jazz Festival Endowed Fund. Proceeds can be used to support any aspect of the Festival, which is one of the country’s oldest collegiate jazz festivals and just celebrated its 59th year.

The gift also supports the Jim Cunningham Jazz Scholarship, named for the founder of the Elmhurst University Jazz Festival; and the Doug Beach Jazz Scholarship Fund, which honors the acclaimed Jazz Band’s longtime director and his significant contributions to the University and his profession. Proceeds from both scholarships benefit students who participate in the Jazz Band.

The donors, who performed at the Elmhurst University Jazz Festival when they were students in the Jazz Band, made the gift to honor the value of their experience, and to ensure that it would be available to other students for years to come.

“For almost 60 years, the Jazz Festival has been an important cultural event on the campus’s calendar, inspiring thousands of students and jazz fans throughout that time,” said Chris Parsons ’11, festival director and an alumnus member of the Jazz Band. “With this generous gift, the Festival, which was brought to life by Jim Cunningham and flourished under the direction of Doug Beach, will be able to uphold the mission of fostering educational experiences in jazz, and will continue to serve as a showcase for its premiere talent.”

The Elmhurst University Jazz Band has performed all over the world and in festivals across the U.S., including at the Chicago Jazz Festival, where the band performed with legendary vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater. By offering and supporting opportunities like these, Elmhurst University fosters personal and pre-professional growth in our students, enabling them to thrive as adaptive leaders.

The Elmhurst University Jazz Festival welcomes top college and university bands from around the country to participate in performances, master classes and more with some of the greatest names in professional jazz. In the evenings, featured artists give concerts that draw thousands to campus for the dynamic, unforgettable music.

“We greatly appreciate this generous gift,” said Elmhurst University President Troy D. VanAken, “and the donors’ role in helping to provide extraordinary opportunities like these for our students and the broader community.”