GRAND PIANOS, GRAND PRIZES AND ALL THAT JAZZ
Charitable Gift to UWF Foundation Continues to Create Great Futures and Beautiful Music

A grand tradition was established in 2005 at the University of West Florida Department of Music—the Kathleen T. and Philip B. Phillips, M.D. Jazz Piano Competition. Made possible by the generosity of the Phillips family, the annual event has become a nationally recognized jazz performance competition and an opportunity for the country's best jazz pianists to showcase their talents.

“My reasons for founding the Phillips Piano Jazz Competition were twofold,” said Phil Phillips. “The first was to honor my mother and father in perpetuity. They raised me and my two brothers in a warm and loving family and gave us the life skills that formed the foundation of our later success.”

Phil’s mother, Kathleen T. Phillip, was an accomplished pianist and music was ever present in his youth and remains so today. His father also enjoyed music and actively supported and encouraged his mother.

“Secondly, I wanted to assist the nation's best young talented jazz pianists by giving them a competitive venue in which to display their skills and by rewarding them for their achievements,” said Phillips.

Attracting outstanding young musicians and judges from around the country, the competition is open to currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students, ages 17 to 35, at colleges and universities throughout the United States.

The final round of the competition was held as a free public performance April 3 at the Saenger Theatre located in downtown Pensacola, with cash prizes totaling $10,000. This year’s judges were professional jazz pianists Chuchito Valdes, Cuba; John Royen, New Orleans; and last year’s winner Donald Vega, New York.

The Phillips family is a leader in UWF’s Creating Great Futures Campaign, the university’s largest ever comprehensive fundraising campaign. Their gift has raised the level of excellence of the UWF Music Department and has provided unique opportunities for UWF, the Northwest Florida community and beyond.

 “The generosity of the Phillips family and their vision are the driving force behind the competition’s success," said Kyle Marrero, chair of the UWF Department of Music. “We are extremely grateful for what they have created and I am confident that the Kathleen T. and Philip B. Phillips, M.D. Jazz Piano Competition will continue to be a tremendous asset for students across the country for years to come,” said Marrero.

To learn more about the Kathleen T. and Philip B. Phillips, M.D. Jazz Piano Competition, contact the UWF Department of Music at (850) 474-2147 or visit uwf.edu/music/phillipsjazz.

To learn more about the Creating Great Futures Campaign, visit uwf.edu/greatfutures or contact Lauren Smith, campaign manager, at (850) 474-3096 or e-mail greatfutures@uwf.edu.