Thomas Carter, the Monk Institute's president, said that it was hard to find a home for the fellowship program.

The Monk Institute has made the event audience-friendly.

"We envision having whole groups coming in," he said of the Monk Institute.

His robust and eloquent style finds a good showcase in this concert, organized by the Monk Institute.

After the last vocal competition, in 1993, the Monk Institute had to field about 100 complaints from older singers who felt excluded.

"Entertainment is part of jazz's history," said Tom Carter, the president of the Monk Institute.

That's just one sign of the power of the Monk Institute: it can help young musicians.

The Monk Institute, which will run the program, has dedicated a large portion of the first year's $1.2 million operating budget to education.

"It makes sense to keep doing it with jazz, and the Monk Institute is good about things like that."

The Nissan Corporation, which has supported several projects of the Monk Institute, will contribute $250,000 to the new program.