Feb 3, 2026 12:10 AM
In Memoriam: Ken Peplowski, 1959–2026
Ken Peplowski, a clarinetist and tenor saxophonist who straddled the worlds of traditional and modern jazz, died Feb. 2…
The ISJAC Honors Celebration & Fundraiser will feature a headline performance by John Beasley and his MONK’estra.
(Photo: Eric Wolfinger)The International Society of Jazz Arrangers & Composers will hold its first-ever Honors Celebration & Fundraiser on Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. at Dizzy’s Club in New York City, followed by a VIP cocktail afterparty.
The evening will feature a headline performance by ISJAC President John Beasley and his MONK’estra alongside an all-star lineup of internationally renowned jazz artists. The event will celebrate the induction of legendary composers and arrangers into ISJAC’s Hall of Fame: John Coltrane, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Pat Metheny, Oliver Nelson and Maria Schneider.
In addition, the evening will showcase world premieres of newly commissioned works by composers Geoffrey Keezer and Vanessa Perica, recipients of ISJAC’s 2025 Next Decade and Fundamental Freedoms commissions, respectively.
Special guests will be in attendance to perform with the MONK’estra and accept Hall of Fame honors on behalf of the inductees. Featured performers for the evening include artists such as Maucha Adnet, John Patitucci, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Scott Robinson, Gary Smulyan, Conrad Herwig, Jennifer Wharton, Scott Wendholt, Chico Pinheiro and Kendrick Scott, among many others.
To purchase tickets, CLICK HERE.
The next ISJAC Summit is set to take place May 14–16, 2026, at the University of Northern Colorado. DB
Peplowski first came to prominence in legacy swing bands, including the final iteration of the Benny Goodman Orchestra, before beginning a solo career in the late 1980s.
Feb 3, 2026 12:10 AM
Ken Peplowski, a clarinetist and tenor saxophonist who straddled the worlds of traditional and modern jazz, died Feb. 2…
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