Grammy nominated musician Don Byron will headline free public performances at Quartz Mountain during the 2012 Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, running through June 24. The prestigious academy for Oklahoma high school students also features poetry readings, film screenings, gallery openings, and music, dance, and theater performances. “We are thrilled to welcome Don Byron to Quartz Mountain for the first time this summer,” said Emily Clinton, Oklahoma Arts Institute program director. “In addition to performing, he’ll give a master class in improvisation to our orchestra students. We think our students will really enjoy the addition of a jazz element to this year’s music program.” Clarinetist and bandleader Don Byron is a Grammy nominee and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in composition. Based in New York, his music spans many genres, including classical, salsa, hip-hop, funk, klezmer, rhythm and blues, and gospel, as well as any style of jazz, from swing to cutting-edge improvisation. Byron, as well as San Francisco-based actor Regina Saisi, will perform on Fri., June 15 at 7 p.m. in the Robert M. Kerr Performing Arts Center at the Quartz Mountain Arts and Conference Center in southwest Oklahoma. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Other highlights include a variety of performances and showcases by OSAI students during ONSTAGE Weekend, Fri., June 22 and Sat., June 23. The performances represent the culmination of the Summer Institute, an intensive two-week arts academy. Institute students are selected for the program through competitive, statewide auditions and represent Oklahoma’s most talented high school students. For a complete listing of public performances, visit www.oaiquartz.org or call (405) 605-7500. OSAI is taught on a collegiate level, and some performances may not be suitable for children under the age of 14 The Oklahoma Arts Institute is a private, non-profit organization developed in 1977, with a mission to provide exceptional multidisciplinary arts experiences that develop individual talent and inspire a lifelong passion for the arts. OAI administers a program for talented Oklahoma youth every June and a series of continuing education workshops for adults every fall.