In 1965, William Russo helped to establish the Music Department of Columbia College Chicago, where he became the College’s first full-time faculty member and served as Music Department Chair until his retirement in 2002.  During his 40 years at Columbia College Chicago, William was known as an outstanding composer, director, and educator of exceptional vision.  One of his greatest contributions as an educator was bridging relationships between students and creative professionals in artistic fields.

With his vision in mind, Columbia College Chicago has established “The William Russo Endowed Scholarship for Excellence in Music” in his honor. Click here to donate now.

The Chicago Jazz Ensemble proudly announces the inaugural year of the Louis Armstrong Legacy Project and Competition (“LALPC”).   With a grant and support from the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation and Polk Brothers Foundation, the Chicago Jazz Ensemble and Artistic Director Jon Faddis have designed this new program to introduce and extend the musical legacy of Louis Armstrong, particularly to middle and high school music students in the Chicago Public Schools (“CPS”).

Click here to donate now. Click here to read more about the LALPC