University of Houston-Downtown prepares for 50th anniversary with expansion details
HOUSTON (KIAH) — The University of Houston-Downtown is no stranger to new additions to its campus, student life and preparing its students for life after graduation. Now, it's preparing for the 50th year anniversary with new expansion details and a big performer making his way to Houston to add to the celebration.
The partnership that's helping make the university expansion to 1801 Main Street possible is thanks to a partnership with Downtown Houston Plus. UHD will occupy the tenth floor of the building for a Career Center Annex, Continuing Education Office and the Office of Alumni Relations.
To kick off the celebration, Grammy Award- winning, NEA Jazz Master, Terence Blanchard will be performing for one night only on Saturday, November 9 at 7 p.m. for "ilm Scores" at the University of Houston Cullen Performance Hall at 4300 University Drive.
It's a tale of two cousins—both from southern Louisiana. One is a Grammy Award-winning, NEA Jazz Master originally from New Orleans, now living on the West Coast. The other cousin, a university president leading Houston's second largest institution of higher education, was born and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Now Terence Blanchard is performing a concert of his original film scores in honor of the University of Houston Downtown's (UHD) 50th anniversary on the invitation of his cousin, Dr. Loren J. Blanchard.
Slated for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, "ilm Scores, Jazz and Beyond" will fill the University of Houston (UH) Cullen Performance Hall, 4300 University Drive, with the sounds of Blanchard's unforgettable jazz stylings.
Joining him on stage will be his own band, The E-Collective, plus student musicians from the UH Moores School of Music. This concert is funded in part by a City Initiative grant from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.
The two cousins will be part of a free, open-to-the-public Fireside Chat at 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 8, in the TDECU Tour Room of the UHD Welcome Center, One Main Street.
