The Monterey Jazz Festival has announced its 11th annual Next Generation Jazz Festival, featuring middle school, high school, conglomerate school and college jazz musicians and vocalists. The Next Generation Jazz Festival will take place in Monterey, Calif., from March 27-29.
Applications are now being accepted from middle school big bands; high school big bands, combos, vocal jazz ensembles and composers; conglomerate high school big bands and combos; and college big bands, combos and vocal jazz ensembles through January 15, 2015. Application instructions are found at the Monterey Jazz Festival’s website, Monterey Jazz Festival.
According to a press release, “Finalists are selected through recorded auditions reviewed and ranked by faculty from the Berklee College of Music. Finalists will include 12 big bands, six combos and eight vocal jazz ensembles in the High School Division. Six college-level big bands and six college vocal jazz ensembles will also be selected, in addition to six high school conglomerate big bands, four high school conglomerate combos, four college combos and six middle school big bands. In addition, specially invited groups will also perform. In 2014, 80 groups from across the United States attended the Next Generation Jazz Festival.”
The high school, conglomerate and college divisions are open to big bands, combos and vocal ensembles. The top groups will win cash awards and be invited to perform at the 58th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival, Sept. 18-20, 2015.
Auditions for Monterey Jazz Festival’s Next Generation Jazz Orchestra will also be held during the Next Generation Jazz Festival.
The festival also includes a big band composition competition, open to high school composers and judged by college faculty from leading music schools. The winning composer will receive the Gerald Wilson Award and a cash prize, with the winning composition to be performed by the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra on the final day of the 58th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival on Sept. 20, on the Jimmy Lyons Stage in the Arena.
All Next Generation Jazz Festival events and activities are free of charge and open to the public. The Festival will also conduct clinics, workshops, jam sessions, and auditions in the Monterey.
Interested schools and students should visit Monterey Jazz Festival for instructions on how to apply to the Next Generation Jazz Festival.
11th Annual Next Generation Jazz Festival Announced
Applications now being accepted from schools nationwide
