Lewis Nash Scholarship Endowment

Jazz is, at its heart, born of African American inspiration and innovation.

In a time when our country is experiencing one of the farthest-reaching civil rights movements in history, grappling with its past and present racial inequalities, the Lewis Nash Scholarship was established to create a sustainable resource to support underrepresented students who possess the talent and interest in contributing to the evolution of this American art form. Our students and faculty further the interests of the civil rights movement by sustaining the dialogue between people of all races and ethnicities which has been inherent to the culture of jazz for so long.

This scholarship is established in honor of Lewis Nash: a pillar of the Phoenix jazz community; namesake for Phoenix’s only dedicated jazz club; and Professor of Practice in Jazz at the Arizona State University School of Music, Dance and Theatre. Nash is an accomplished and transformative musician, clinician, and educator. This scholarship is a tribute to his impact on students at Arizona State University and to his contributions to jazz throughout the state, country, and world.

As a tribute to Lewis Nash, this endowment was launched by a generous gift from Stuart and Nancy Siefer. Additional gifts are anticipated from faculty, staff, family members, friends, and other admirers of Lewis Nash.

The Lewis Nash Scholarship Endowment will provide an undergraduate or graduate student studying jazz performance with funding to realize their dreams. The Lewis Nash Scholarship is administered by the ASU Foundation.

A scholarship gift is one of the most important ways of supporting and partnering with outstanding students studying music. Scholarship support goes directly to the student’s educational expenses, which for an aspiring young artist can be quite insurmountable, and now more than ever before, often is the deciding factor in a student’s ability to enroll in the ASU School of Music, Dance and Theatre.

To contribute to the fund, visit: Lewis Nash Scholarship Endowment