Tri-C JazzFest Director Receives Lifetime Achievement Award From DownBeat Magazine

Terri Pontremoli recognized for contributions to jazz music

The director of the Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland, presented by KeyBank, was recognized with a lifetime honor for her years of dedication to providing educational opportunities to students and bringing world-class jazz to Cleveland.

Terri Pontremoli received the DownBeat Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award for Jazz Presenting in its November issue. The magazine's DownBeat Honors highlights contributions to jazz recording, performance and education.

DownBeat is a monthly magazine that covers the latest news, reviews and interviews in jazz, blues and beyond. It was established in Chicago in 1934.

Pontremoli first came to Tri-C in 1991 and served as the director of the Tri-C JazzFest from 2002-2004. After serving as the managing director of the Detroit Jazz Festival from 2005-2011, she returned to Cleveland and has helmed the Tri-C JazzFest ever since.

Pontremoli grew up loving jazz — her father was a jazz guitarist — and she was trained in classical violin. But jazz administration turned out to be her calling.

"Jazz has just enriched my life," Pontremoli said. "There's something about being involved in jazz when you hear a new musician, an emerging musician, and you're able to present that to people, and they're like, 'Holy mackerel, who is this person?'"

Tri-C JazzFest was founded in 1980 by Thom Horning, Ph.D., and Reginald Buckner. The educational festival features year-round programming that culminates with a three-day summer music festival featuring nearly 500 artists performing indoors and outdoors at Playhouse Square.

Read the full story in the November 2024 issue at downbeat.com.

November 06, 2024

MEDIA CONTACT: Anthony Moujaes, 216-987-3068 or anthony.moujaes@tri-c.edu