The world-renowned organisation Jazz at Lincoln Center will be celebrating Australian jazz educator Greg Quigley with an honorary award at its 2025 Gala held on International Jazz Day, 30th April 2025, at the Rose Theatre in New York City.
The award acknowledges Mr. Quigley’s extraordinary 50 years of service to jazz education in Australia, recognising a lifetime of dedication to nurturing young musicians and championing the growth of jazz across Australia and beyond.
Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Quigley has been instrumental in building strong educational pathways for aspiring jazz musicians. As the founder and long-serving director of the Jazz Music Institute (JMI) in Brisbane, he has mentored thousands of students, helped develop innovative curricula, and established JMI as a leading institution for jazz study in the southern hemisphere.
Under his guidance, JMI has fostered a vibrant community that bridges performance, education, and outreach, embodying the inclusive and collaborative spirit of jazz music.
In response to the honorary award, Mr. Quigley expressed his gratitude to the international jazz community:
“It’s an incredible honour to be recognised by Jazz at Lincoln Center. I’ve been fortunate to spend my life sharing this music I love with so many remarkable people. This award reflects the passion of all the students, educators, and artists I’ve had the privilege to work with over the years.”
The 2025 Jazz at Lincoln Center Gala, hosted by Dave Chappelle, brings together leading artists, educators, and supporters from around the world to celebrate the universal language of jazz and its power to inspire, educate, and unite.
Mr. Quigley’s recognition stands as a testament to the global reach of jazz education and the enduring legacy of those who champion it.
The 2025 Gala will be livestreamed to Jazz at Lincoln Center’s jazzlive.com platform on Thursday 1st May at 9am AEST.
ABOUT GREG QUIGLEY
Greg Quigley has been involved in jazz education in Australia for 50 years. Greg has been instrumental in shaping the Australian jazz scene, initially presenting workshops with Don Rader, Johnny Coles, Don Wilkinson and Jack Peterson from the Ray Charles Orchestra. Following the success of these workshops, Greg connected with Jamey Aebersold and between 1978 and 1982 presented workshops and concerts all across Australia that featured international jazz stars such as Freddie Hubbard, John Scofield, Woody Shaw, Rufus Reid, Randy Brecker, Johnny Griffin, Mulgrew Miller, Dave Liebman, David Baker, Ed Soph, Todd Coolman, Jerry Coker, Dan Haerle, among many others.
During the 1980s, Greg facilitated extended teaching residencies in Australia for David Baker, Ed Soph and Todd Coolman at the Sydney Conservatorium, as well as producing tours for Joe Henderson, Chico Freeman, Kenny Kirkland, Buster Williams and Billy Hart.
From 1982 to 1995 Greg worked as an instrumental music teacher for the Queensland Education Department, developing his school programs to be some of the finest in the state.
In 1996, Greg opened his own jazz CD store “Jazzworx!” and developed the “Jazzworx! Improvisation Method” with pianist Vince Genova. The 3-volume book and CD play-along series was published by Kendor and endorsed by jazz legends such as John Scofield and Jeff Jarvis.
Following the success of the method book, Greg began delivering jazz courses as a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). In 2009, Jazzworx! was approved as a Higher Education Provider to deliver a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance, the only course of its kind in Australia.
Rebranded to Jazz Music Institute (JMI) in 2010, the institute has continued to grow in reputation as a leading jazz education institution. In 2014, JMI began partnering with Jazz at Lincoln Center to deliver the Essentially Ellington program in Australia, called Essentially Ellington Down Under. The program has reached over 5,000 high school students and nearly 700 teachers since 2014.
In 2024, in a national survey from 142 Australian higher education institutions and universities, JMI received the highest student satisfaction rating out of all institutions in Australia, with a 100% student satisfaction rating.
Greg is still actively involved in JMI and continues to practise and perform regularly, following his lifelong passion in jazz music.