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| 11th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival Jazz at Lincoln Center announced the 15 finalist bands for its prestigious 11th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival. These high school jazz bands will compete in New York City on May 18, 19 & 20, 2006 for the opportunity to play on the stages of Avery Fisher Hall on the Lincoln Center campus with guest soloist Wynton Marsalis for the top 3 placing bands. This year, more than 5, 700 newly transcribed Ellington scores, reference recordings, and additional educational materials were sent to over 900 high schools in the United States, Canada and American schools in Brazil, Japan and Switzerland. 97 bands entered the competition by submitting a recording of three Ellington works. In its 11-year history, this unique music education program has reached more than 200, 000 students in over 3, 500 high schools across all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Australia, and American schools abroad. To date, Essentially Ellington has produced and distributed over 55,000 copies of 66 previously unavailable scores and 75 finalist bands have come to New York City to participate in the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival. The 15 finalists for Essentially Ellington 2006 are: Agoura High School, Agoura Hills, CA Calabasas High School, Calabasas, CA Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Los Angeles, CA Rio Americano High School, Sacramento, CA Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, Jacksonville, FL Sioux City North High School, Sioux City, IA Lake Zurich High School, Lake Zurich, IL Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, KS Lexington High School, Lexington, MA Wellesley High School, Wellesley, MA State College Area High School, State College, PA Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground, WA Newport High School, Bellevue, WA Garfield High School, Seattle, WA Roosevelt High School, Seattle, WA Winner of Conglomerate Band Workshop: Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra, Rochester, NY All events take place at Frederick P. Rose Hall, the home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, on Broadway at 60th St. and the Essentially Ellington Concert and Awards Ceremony as noted below. Thursday, May 18 2:00 - 3:00pm -Welcome and One on One with Wynton Marsalis 3:00 - 6:00pm -Workshops and Rehearsals 6:15 - 9:00pm -Festival Opening Night Banquet Dinner and Jam Sessions Friday, May 19 10:00am - 12:45pm -Duke Ellington Panel Discussion and Rehearsals 3:00 - 6:00pm -Competition Part I Sunday, May 20 10:00 - 11:30am -Competition Part II 1:00 - 2:30pm -Competition Part III 3:30pm -Three Top-Placing Bands Announced 7:30pm -Concert and Awards Ceremony, Avery Fisher Hall, 64th and Columbus Ave. -Featuring the three top-placing bands and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis as guest soloist. "Instruments are being oiled and tuned up, reeds are being shaved, bass lines are being walked, scores are being studied, and countless hours are being spent preparing the most swinging music ever written-it is time for Essentially Ellington, " said Jazz at Lincoln Center Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis. "Each year we welcome talented bands from across the country to New York City, in celebration of the deep commitment that young musicians have shown to exploring and performing this great American music. We hope to recognize even more students this year through regional Essentially Ellington high school jazz band festivals held at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC and Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, " said Jazz at Lincoln Center Director of Education Erika Floreska. "Together, the regional festivals and competition in New York will provide even more young musicians with the opportunity to play jazz and share the infectious spirit of swing within our communities." The three-day festival will begin on Thursday, May 18 when the finalist bands arrive at Frederick P. Rose Hall for "One-On-One With Wynton Marsalis, " workshops, rehearsals, a banquet dinner, Duke Ellington panel discussions and jam sessions with members of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. The three-part competition is in Rose Theater on Friday, May 19 at 3pm and Saturday, May 20 at 10am and 1pm. The panel of judges includes Jazz at Lincoln Center Artistic Director WYNTON MARSALIS; Music Director, Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, DAVID BAKER; composer, conductor, and Ellington authority DAVID BERGER; and author, composer, and conductor GUNTHER SCHULLER. This panel will judge each band's performance of three Ellington works. At the May 20th, 7:30pm Concert and Awards Ceremony in Avery Fisher Hall, the three top-placing bands will perform alone and with Mr. Marsalis as soloist, followed by the LCJO performing an all-Ellington set and the culminating awards ceremony honoring outstanding soloists and sections and the three top-placing bands. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |