The Kiewit-Wang Mentorship Award is given to high school students who show excellence in musicianship as jazz instrumentalists. Recipients are awarded free music lessons with a Chicago jazz musician of their choice.

Since the program began, 31 young musicians have been mentored and inspired by professional jazz musicians, including:

Ari Brown, Steve Million, Willie Pickens, Ron Perillo, Robert Irving III, Rocky Yera, Ryan Cohan, Dennis Carrol, Jim Cooper, Dan Nicholson, Ken Chaney, Michael Raynor, Joan Hickey, Greg Ward, Nicole Mitchell, Junius Paul, Tom Garling, Scott Hesse, Ernie Adams, Marques Carroll, Greg Artry, Jr, Christopher Madsen.

Our focus on linking the generations through mentorship is at the very heart of the nature and tradition of jazz and is embedded in everything that we do at the Jazz Institute of Chicago.

At the audition, participants will need to be prepared to play "Impressions" by John Coltrane or"Blue Monk" by Thelonious Monk (in Bb) and a jazz standard of choice with a rhythm section that will be provided.