Monterey Jazz Festival Announces 2018 Next Generation Jazz Festival Results

Monterey Jazz Festival is proud to announce the results of the annual Next Generation Jazz Festival. A full list of top groups, scholarship and award winners can be found on the Festival's Web site at montereyjazzfestival.org.

Results by Category

In the High School Big Band Division, top honors went to Northgate High School (Walnut Creek, Calif.), Greg Brown, director, winning for the fifth year in a row, landmark for any group in the Next Generation Jazz Festival's history. Second place went to Downey High School Jazz Band I (Downey, Calif.), Corneliu Olariu, director. Third place with El Cerrito High School Jazz Ensemble, (El Cerrito, Calif.), Keith Johnson, director. All three ensembles will perform at the 61st Annual Monterey Jazz Festival in September. It will be Downey's first time sending a band to MJF. El Cerrito last had a had a band perform at MJF in 1991, 27 years ago.

In the High School Combo Division, top honors went to Booker T. Washington HSPVA Jazz Combo I (Dallas, Texas), Fred Sanders, director. It was their first win in the division since 2003 and their fourth overall win. The runner-up was Hamilton High School Jazz Ensemble A (Los Angeles, Calif.), Jim Foschia, director. Third place went to Crossroads School Jazz A Band, (Santa Monica, Calif.), Evan Avery, director. Booker T. Washington HSPVA Jazz Combo I will perform at the 61st Annual Monterey Jazz Festival in September.

In the High School Vocal Ensemble Division, top honors went to the Valencia High School Two N' Four (Valencia, Calif.), Christine Tavares-Mocha, director. It was their first win in the division. Second place went toFolsom High School Jazz Choir I (Folsom, Calif.), Curtis Gaesser, director. Third place went to Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Vocal Ensemble (Los Angeles, Calif.), Pat Bass, director. Valencia High School Two N' Four and Folsom High School Jazz Choir will perform at the 61st Annual Monterey Jazz Festival in September.

In the High School Vocal Soloist Division, top honors went to William Brandt (Hamilton High School Academy of Music, Los Angeles, Calif.). Second place was Veronica Villarreal (Downey High School, Downey, Calif.) and third place went to Valentina Shelton (Windward School, Los Angeles, Calif.). William Brandt will perform at the 61st Annual Monterey Jazz Festival in September.

In the High School Conglomerate Big Band Division, top honors went to the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Big Band (San Francisco, Calif.), Paul Contos, director. It was their second win in a row, and their fifth win in the division since 2013. The runner-up was the Colburn Jazz Workshop Big Band (Los Angeles, Calif.), Lee Secard, director.Third place went to the Stanford Jazz Workshop Miles Ahead Big Band (Stanford, Calif.), Mike Galisatus, director. The SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Big Band will perform at the 61st Annual Monterey Jazz Festival in September.

In the High School Conglomerate Combo Division, top honors went to the Colburn Jazz Workshop Thursday Night Band (Los Angeles, Calif.), Lee Secard, director for their first win in the division. Second place went to theSFJAZZ High School All-Stars Combo (San Francisco, Calif.), Dann Zinn, director. Third place went to theColburn Jazz Workshop Monday Night Band (Los Angeles, Calif.), Lee Secard, director. The Colburn Jazz Workshop Thursday Night Band will perform at the 61st Annual Monterey Jazz Festival in September.

In the College Big Band Division, there was a tie for first place with University of Central Oklahoma Jazz Ensemble I (Edmond, Okla.), Brian Gorrell, director, and University of Denver Lamont Jazz Orchestra (Denver, Colo.), Steve Weist, director. 2018 is the second year in a row that there has been a tie for first place. Second place went to University of Miami, Frost School of Music Frost Studio Jazz Band (Coral Gables, Fla.), Stephen Guerra, director. Third place went to Sacramento State Jazz Ensemble (Sacramento, Calif.), Steve Roach, director. University of Central Oklahoma Jazz Ensemble I and the University of Denver Lamont Jazz Orchestra will perform at the 61st Annual Monterey Jazz Festival in September.

In the College Vocal Ensemble Division, the top group was Western Michigan University Gold Company(Kalamazoo, Mich.), Greg Jaspers, director, and was their first win in the division. The runner-up was American River College Vocal Jazz Ensemble (Sacramento, Calif.), Arthur Lapierre, director. Third place went to College of the Canyons Just Jazz (Santa Clarita, Calif.), Julie Lawson, director. Western Michigan University Gold Companywill perform at the 61st Annual Monterey Jazz Festival in September.

In the College Combo Division, top honors went to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Honors Trio (Las Vegas, Nev.), Dave Loeb, director, for their first win in the division. There was a tie for second place with Berklee Global Jazz Institute Amber Ensemble (Boston, Mass.), Marco Pignatero, director, and California State University, Northridge Kairos (Northridge, Calif.), Matt Harris, director. Third place went to the New School Improv Ensemble (New York, N.Y.), Matt Wilson, director. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Honors Trio will perform at the 61st Annual Monterey Jazz Festival in September.

For a complete list of top ensembles, outstanding soloists and scholarship recipients, please visit http://www.montereyjazzfestival.org/NGJF/2018-next-generation-jazz-festival-results

The 48th Next Generation Jazz Festival began on Friday, March 9, to a crowd of 1700 in the recently-renovated Monterey Conference Center for the Friday Night Judges Concert, presented by the California Jazz Conservatory, with music the Ethan Santos Quintet from Berklee College of Music; pianist Shelly Berg,saxophonists Joel Frahm, Tia Fuller and Gary Smulyan, drummer Kendrick Scott; trombonist Alan Ferber; trumpeters Ingrid Jensen and Tanya Darby, bassist Katie Thiroux, guitarist Dan Balmer; vibraphonist Kyle Athayde, and vocalists Sara Gazarek and Fletcher Sheridan.

Saturday's activities included 86 back-to-back performances on seven stages in downtown Monterey. In addition, clinics were held by Ethan Santos Quintet, from Berklee College of Music, and Artists-in-Residence Tia Fuller and Ingrid Jensen. After nine hours of performances, students and parents packed the Serra Ballroom to hear the announcement of the top high school big bands, vocal ensembles and combos, and soloist and scholarship award winners, with a Showcase Concert later that evening was a preview of the 2018 Monterey Jazz Festival, which included performances from the top placing groups. Northgate High School's fifth consecutive win in the High School Big Band Division set a NGJF record-the most consecutive wins in a row by any school, in any division, in the event's 47-year history. El Cerrito High School is also sending a band to perform at MJF for the first time in 27 years.

On Sunday March 11, the final divisions of the Next Generation Jazz Festival took place, with over 50 additional performances and a special education clinic from J.B. Dyas of the Thelonious Monk Institute. For the second year in a row, there was a first place tie in the College Big Band Division, between the University of Central Oklahoma Jazz Ensemble I and the University of Denver Lamont Jazz Orchestra.

The Next Generation Jazz Festival and the Media Center for Art, Education and Technology (MCAETtv) provided local TV coverage and live web streaming on YouTube all weekend, with nearly 16,000 views. Performances are now archived on MCAETtv's YouTube channel.

Partners and Supporters Help Fund Next Generation Jazz Festival

The 2018 Next Generation Jazz Festival's corporate partners and sponsors include District 7 Wines, Inns of Monterey, California Jazz Conservatory, City of Monterey, S.T.A.R. Foundation of Monterey County, Arts Council for Monterey County, Yamaha, DownBeat, Latin Percussion, Remo, Turn 12 Bar & Grill,MCAETtv, Girl Scouts of California's Central Coast, and Dali17.

Foundation supporters include the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Monterey Peninsula Foundation, Quest Foundation, Nancy Buck Ransom Foundation, Sally Hughes Church Foundation, California Arts Council, Community Foundation for Monterey County, Arts Council for Monterey County, S.T.A.R. Foundation of Monterey County, Bill Graham Supporting Foundation, William H. Donner Foundation, Joseph Drown Foundation, Upjohn California Fund, Monterey Peninsula Volunteer Services, and Yellow Brick Road Foundation.

The 49th Next Generation Jazz Festival Presented by Monterey Jazz Festival is scheduled for April 5-7 2019,and will continue to draw the country's superior level student bands, vocalists, and individual musicians. The Next Generation Jazz Festival presented by Monterey Jazz Festival congratulates all the participants, fans, volunteers, parents, supporters, and donors who have helped make this special event possible every year.

For a complete list of top ensembles, outstanding soloists and scholarship recipients, please visit http://www.montereyjazzfestival.org/NGJF/2018-next-generation-jazz-festival-results

About Monterey Jazz Festival
The Monterey Jazz Festival celebrates the legacy of jazz, expands its boundaries, and provides opportunities to experience jazz through the creative production of performances and educational programs.

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