November 2006 brought the loss of a talented and charismatic young jazz vocalist and composer, Hydeus Kiatta, a Monterey County native. Hydeus’s family, together with the Monterey Jazz Festival, has created a Fund in her memory to help support MJF’s youth jazz education programs.

A graduate of San Francisco State University, at the time of her death she was a graduate student at The Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. She was a jazz vocal major with an emphasis on performance and composition. Her mission was to make a profound impact in the world by promoting peace and harmony through her music. Hydeus was deeply inspired by the diversity of people and cultures that she experienced during her travels. She had a passion to enrich the young minds of tomorrow.

“This is a great way to honor the memory of such a dynamic and talented area jazz vocalist,” says MJF’s Education Director, Dr. Rob Klevan. “Hydeus was the first vocalist who I had sing with the jazz band at Stevenson School when I was teaching there. She was incredible – a natural performer with a great feel for jazz. It was no surprise to me that she would choose music as a career and focus on singing. I know she would be pleased with this Fund, which is aimed at encouraging young musicians to study jazz."