[NEohioPAL]Oberlin Receives Kulas Foundation Grant for Jazz Building; Announces Architectural Firm

[Marci Janas]

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Media Contact Only:
Marci Janas, Director of Conservatory Media Relations
440-775-8328 (office); 440-667-2724 (cell); marci.janas at oberlin.edu


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:


KULAS FOUNDATION AWARDS $750,000 TOWARD OBERLIN=92S NEW JAZZ BUILDING;=20=

CLEVELAND ARCHITECTURAL FIRM HIRED

=09
OBERLIN, OHIO (September 20, 2006)=97The Oberlin Conservatory of Music =
at=20
Oberlin College has received a $750,000 grant from the Kulas Foundation=20=

to support the construction of a new jazz facility for Oberlin=92s Jazz=20=

Studies Program. The Kulas Foundation award, combined with a $5 million=20=

commitment from Cleveland businessman Stewart Kohl and his wife, Donna,=20=

positions Oberlin near the halfway mark of its fund-raising goals for=20
the building.
	=93The Kulas award represents the largest donation from the =
foundation=20
in Oberlin=92s history,=94 says Dean of the Conservatory David H. Stull.=20=

=93It will certainly assist us in garnering support from the greater=20
community. Our initial estimate is that the total project will cost $12=20=

million, and we=92ll be working hard to reach this goal within the next=20=

year.=94
	Elroy J. Kulas, a Cleveland industrialist, established the Kulas=20=

Foundation in 1937. A major share of its annual giving goes toward=20
various aspects of music, such as music education, grants to musical=20
performing institutions, and music therapy.
	The Kohls=92 gift, which was announced in November 2005 by =
Oberlin=20
President Nancy S. Dye, is believed to be the largest gift ever given=20
specifically for the support of jazz education at a college in the=20
United States. Stewart Kohl, a 1977 Oberlin graduate and a member of=20
the Oberlin Board of Trustees, is a managing partner of the Riverside=20
Company, a leading private equity firm.
	=93Through their remarkable generosity, Stewart and Donna have =
launched=20
a project to address our jazz department's desperate need for more=20
space,=94 says Stull. =93In doing so, they are investing in the =
education=20
of future generations of students at Oberlin.=94
	According to Wendell Logan, Chair of the Jazz Studies Department =
and=20
Professor of African American Music, the new facility will help the=20
program from both a teaching perspective and a recruitment standpoint.
	Tentatively scheduled to open in fall 2008, the building will be =
named=20
in honor of Phyllis Litoff, a close friend of the Kohls=92 who died of=20=

brain cancer in 2002. Phyllis and her husband, Mel, were owners of the=20=

famed Greenwich Village jazz club Sweet Basil and founders of the=20
Greenwich Village Jazz Festival. They later became artistic directors=20
and producers of the Belleayre Music Festival.
	Oberlin has selected the Cleveland architectural firm Westlake =
Reed=20
Leskosky to design the building. According to initial plans, the=20
facility will be connected to the south wing of the Conservatory,=20
extending east from Robertson Hall, where a parking lot now sits. The=20
first and second floors will be committed to the Jazz Studies=20
Department, and the third story will house academic offices for the=20
Conservatory. The facility will include a large rehearsal room for the=20=

Oberlin Jazz Ensemble, two mid-size rehearsal rooms for small=20
ensembles, a library resources area, practice rooms, teaching studios,=20=

a computer laboratory, and a substantial storage area. An additional=20
objective is for the building to acquire a LEED (Leadership in Energy=20
and Environmental Design) rating, reflecting Oberlin=92s pioneering=20
spirit in both music education and environmental responsibility.
	=93Paul Westlake is a marvelous architect,=94 says Stull. =93We=92=
re very=20
excited=97not only about the new space for jazz studies=97but also about=20=

the aesthetic enhancement the structure will bring to the=20
Conservatory.=94
	Westlake Reed Leskosky is nationally recognized for its work in=20=

cultural and performing arts facilities. The firm=92s expertise in the=20=

planning and design of signature performing arts facilities was first=20
demonstrated by the design of Blossom Music Center, the summer home of=20=

the Cleveland Orchestra. Since Blossom=92s creation, the firm has=20
performed significant design work on more than 100 performance=20
facilities nationwide and for two of the nation=92s three largest=20
performing arts centers: Playhouse Square in Cleveland and the Denver=20
Arts Center. The firm also has performed significant design work on=20
dozens of museum and interpretive centers, libraries, and community=20
centers, including notable projects for the Cleveland Museum of Art and=20=

Bethel Performing Arts and Interpretive Center (Woodstock).
	The Oberlin Conservatory of Music, founded in 1865 and situated =
amid=20
the intellectual vitality of Oberlin College since 1867, is the oldest=20=

continuously operating conservatory in the United States. Renowned=20
internationally as a professional music school of the highest caliber=20
and pronounced a =93national treasure=94 by the Washington Post, its =
alumni=20
have gone on to achieve illustrious careers in all aspects of the=20
serious music world.
	For more information about Oberlin, please visit =
www.oberlin.edu.

# # #

September 20, 2006
Media Contact: Marci Janas



Marci Janas
Director of Conservatory Media Relations
Oberlin Conservatory of Music
39 West College Street
Oberlin, OH  44074
www.oberlin.edu/con
(P) 440-775-8328
(F) 440-775-5457
marci.janas at oberlin.edu=

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<flushright><underline><smaller>


Media Contact Only:

</smaller></underline><smaller>Marci Janas, Director of Conservatory
Media Relations

440-775-8328 (office); 440-667-2724 (cell);
=
<underline><color><param>0000,0000,FFF9</param>marci.janas at oberlin.edu</co=
lor></underline>


</smaller></flushright><smaller>

<underline>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

</underline></smaller><underline>


</underline><center><bold><x-tad-smaller>KULAS FOUNDATION AWARDS
$750,000 TOWARD OBERLIN=92S NEW JAZZ BUILDING; CLEVELAND ARCHITECTURAL
FIRM HIRED</x-tad-smaller>


</bold></center><smaller>=09

OBERLIN, OHIO (September 20, 2006)=97The Oberlin Conservatory of Music
at Oberlin College has received a $750,000 grant from the Kulas
Foundation to support the construction of a new jazz facility for
Oberlin=92s Jazz Studies Program. The Kulas Foundation award, combined
with a $5 million commitment from Cleveland businessman Stewart Kohl
and his wife, Donna, positions Oberlin near the halfway mark of its
fund-raising goals for the building.

	=93The Kulas award represents the largest donation from the =
foundation
in Oberlin=92s history,=94 says Dean of the Conservatory David H. Stull.
=93It will certainly assist us in garnering support from the greater
community. Our initial estimate is that the total project will cost
$12 million, and we=92ll be working hard to reach this goal within the
next year.=94

	Elroy J. Kulas, a Cleveland industrialist, established the Kulas
Foundation in 1937. A major share of its annual giving goes toward
various aspects of music, such as music education, grants to musical
performing institutions, and music therapy.

	The Kohls=92 gift, which was announced in November 2005 by =
Oberlin
President Nancy S. Dye, is believed to be the largest gift ever given
specifically for the support of jazz education at a college in the
United States. Stewart Kohl, a 1977 Oberlin graduate and a member of
the Oberlin Board of Trustees, is a managing partner of the Riverside
Company, a leading private equity firm.=20

	=93Through their remarkable generosity, Stewart and Donna have =
launched
a project to address our jazz department's desperate need for more
space,=94 says Stull. =93In doing so, they are investing in the =
education
of future generations of students at Oberlin.=94

	According to Wendell Logan, Chair of the Jazz Studies Department =
and
Professor of African American Music, the new facility will help the
program from both a teaching perspective and a recruitment standpoint.

	Tentatively scheduled to open in fall 2008, the building will be
named in honor of Phyllis Litoff, a close friend of the Kohls=92 who
died of brain cancer in 2002. Phyllis and her husband, Mel, were
owners of the famed Greenwich Village jazz club Sweet Basil and
founders of the Greenwich Village Jazz Festival. They later became
artistic directors and producers of the Belleayre Music Festival.=20

	Oberlin has selected the Cleveland architectural firm Westlake =
Reed
Leskosky to design the building. According to initial plans, the
facility will be connected to the south wing of the Conservatory,
extending east from Robertson Hall, where a parking lot now sits. The
first and second floors will be committed to the Jazz Studies
Department, and the third story will house academic offices for the
Conservatory. The facility will include a large rehearsal room for the
Oberlin Jazz Ensemble, two mid-size rehearsal rooms for small
ensembles, a library resources area, practice rooms, teaching studios,
a computer laboratory, and a substantial storage area. An additional
objective is for the building to acquire a LEED (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design) rating, reflecting Oberlin=92s pioneering
spirit in both music education and environmental responsibility.

	=93Paul Westlake is a marvelous architect,=94 says Stull. =93We=92=
re very
excited=97not only about the new space for jazz studies=97but also about
the aesthetic enhancement the structure will bring to the
Conservatory.=94

	Westlake Reed Leskosky is nationally recognized for its work in
cultural and performing arts facilities. The firm=92s expertise in the
planning and design of signature performing arts facilities was first
demonstrated by the design of Blossom Music Center, the summer home of
the Cleveland Orchestra. Since Blossom=92s creation, the firm has
performed significant design work on more than 100 performance
facilities nationwide and for two of the nation=92s three largest
performing arts centers: Playhouse Square in Cleveland and the Denver
Arts Center. The firm also has performed significant design work on
dozens of museum and interpretive centers, libraries, and community
centers, including notable projects for the Cleveland Museum of Art
and Bethel Performing Arts and Interpretive Center (Woodstock).=20

<bold>	The Oberlin Conservatory of Music</bold>, founded in 1865 and
situated amid the intellectual vitality of Oberlin College since 1867,
is the oldest continuously operating conservatory in the United
States. Renowned internationally as a professional music school of the
highest caliber and pronounced a =93national treasure=94 by the
<italic>Washington Post</italic>, its alumni have gone on to achieve
illustrious careers in all aspects of the serious music world.=20

	For more information about Oberlin, please visit =
www.oberlin.edu.</smaller>


<center><smaller><smaller># # #

</smaller></smaller></center><smaller><smaller>

September 20, 2006

Media Contact: <underline><color><param>0000,0000,FFF9</param>Marci
Janas</color></underline>=20

</smaller>

</smaller>


<smaller>Marci Janas

Director of Conservatory Media Relations

Oberlin Conservatory of Music

39 West College Street

Oberlin, OH  44074

www.oberlin.edu/con

(P) 440-775-8328

(F) 440-775-5457

marci.janas at oberlin.edu</smaller>=

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