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KEN PAPLOWSKI MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Ken Peplowski in New York City on May 1, 2018.
Credit: Jack Vartoogian/Getty
About the Scholarship
This fund was created in memory of legendary artist and Tribeca Jazz Institute faculty member, Ken Paplowski. Through the awarding of this scholarship, we seek to pay tribute to Ken's life and legacy as an extraordinary woodwind player and dedicated educator. This fund will apply to student tuition for one Tribeca Jazz Institute semester. A single prize is awarded each semester to a woodwind musician. Click here to donate in support!*
Who is this Scholarship for?
The Ken Paplowski Memorial Scholarship supports pre-professional adult woodwind musicians committed to learning from NYC’s modern jazz masters at Church Street School’s Tribeca Jazz Institute. This scholarship is awarded based on merit.
How to Apply:
In addition to the standard Tribeca Jazz Institute video submissions, applicants must submit a100 word personal statement discussing why they are the best candidate for that semester's scholarship.
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The personal statement should also outline the qualities each applicant posses that best exemplify Ken's character, artistry, and love of jazz.
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Please email video submissions and personal statements to chrisbyarstji@churchstreetschool.org
Students eligible for the Kem Paplowski Memorial Scholarship are selected by Tribeca Jazz Institute Artistic Director Grant Stewart and Tribeca Jazz Institute Assistant Director Chris Byars.
* All donations made to this fund will directly and exclusively support scholarship recipients.
About
Ken Paplowski
Born in Paris in 1997, Lucio Tomasi was a drummer raised in a multicultural and artistic environment that shaped an early appreciation for the arts. He began studying classical music theory and violin at the age of seven with Julliard alumnus Gaetane Prouvost. After studying violin and counterpoint, and performing in string ensembles, Lucio transitioned to drums in his mid-teens. According to his mother, Marine Benech, "At the age of 15, speaking about jazz, he said: 'I’ll never have enough of this life to understand this music.' He did, indeed, always work a lot, and truly devoted himself to the music he loved."
Lucio later studied at the Dante Agostini Drum School (founded by Dante Agostini and Kenny Clarke), where his passion for jazz grew. He then moved to the National Conservatory of Paris, studying with Olivier Robin and Luigi Grasso. There, he deepened his understanding of the importance of jazz tradition and the need to explore his roots, recognizing the necessity of mastering drum fundamentals and jazz vocabulary.
While studying at the National Conservatory of Paris, he began performing with Luigi Grasso, who became a true mentor. Lucio played and toured with several of Grasso's bands (Nonet, Quartet, Trio), meeting and playing with prominent musicians of the French and European jazz scene. He also performed with musicians in their own bands, such as Laurent Courthaliac Trio and Géraud Portal Sextet, China Moses, among others.
After working professionally in France, Lucio was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, which allowed him to move to New York City to study with Kenneth Washington at Purchase College. During his time in New York, Lucio was also a student in Church Street School's pre-professional jazz program Tribeca Jazz Institute, as well as a member of Church Street School's faculty.
Lucio Participating in a 2024 Tribeca Jazz Institute Jam Session.
"In Paris as well as in New York, Lucio converted his apartment into a studio, and organized daily jam sessions, thus putting into practice what a musician he deeply admired had once told him: 'If you’re in New York City and you don’t play with musicians every day, I don’t know what you’re doing.'
He always sought to gather musicians around him to play, share, and explore that passion for jazz, which he loved to pass on."
-- Marine Benech, Lucio's Mother
Lucio performed with luminaries of the New York Jazz scene as Pasquale Grasso, Jon Faddis, Grant Stewart, Ken Peplowski, Chris Byars, Ari Roland, Stefano Doglioni, Emanuele Basentini, and other musicans of the new generation as Neil Saidi, Leighton Harrell, Bruce Acosta, Jacob Chung, Yur Yesli, Mason Millard, and Brandon Suarez. Additionally, he took the stage at the Jazz in Marciac, Radio France Festival, and in Barcelona and Germany. Lucio regularly performed in the New York City area and Europe at renowned jazz club, including Duc les Lombards, Sunset-Sunside, and Smalls Jazz Club.
Lucio was admitted to Juilliard School to pursue the renowned Artist Diploma program in 2025. He sadly passed away in the Fall of that year. In summer 2026, several albums featuring Lucio will be released posthumously, including his debut album titled "LT plays LT ", an homage to Lucky Thompson.
* All donations made to this fund will directly and exclusively support scholarship recipients.