Finalists announced for 13th Annual Essentially Ellington 2008
Jazz at Lincoln Center announced the 15 finalist bands for its prestigious 13th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival. The bands will compete and participate in workshops, jam sessions and more, during the three-day competition and festival in New York City. The top-placing bands perform with Wynton Marsalis, as guest soloist, followed by a performance by the 15-piece Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra – all of whom serve as mentors for the finalist bands throughout the weekend. The festival culminates with an awards ceremony honoring outstanding soloists, sections and the top three bands.
The Competition & Festival is the cumulation of the annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Program (EE), which also includes regional festivals, curriculum resources, a summer Band Director Academy, monthly newsletters and more.
Competition & Festival: May 15-17 at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Final Concert: May 17 at Avery Fisher Hall, 7:30 p.m.
FINALISTS:
Agoura High School Jazz A, Agoura Hills, CA
William H. Hall High School, West Hartford, CT
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, Jacksonville, FL
Champaign Central High School, Champaign, IL
DeKalb High School, DeKalb, IL
Medfield High School, Medfield, MA
River East Collegiate, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Stephen F. Austin High School, Austin, TX
South Whidbey High School, Langley, WA
Mountlake Terrace High School, Mountlake Terrace, WA
Garfield High School, Seattle, WA
Roosevelt High School, Seattle, WA
Shorewood High School, Shoreline, WA
Eau Claire Memorial High School, Eau Claire, WI
Sun Prairie High School, Sun Prairie, WI
Winners of Conglomerate Band Workshop:
Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage, South Elgin, IL
Pacific Crest Community School, Portland, OR
Winners of Essentially Ellington Student Essay Contest:
FIRST PLACE: Kelsey Van Dalfsen, Mountlake Terrace High School, Mountlake Terrace, WA
SECOND PLACE: Lina A. Colucci, Lexington High School, Lexington, MA
THIRD PLACE: Emily A. Pecoraro, Guilford High School, Guilford, CT
Judges: WYNTON MARSALIS, DAVID BERGER, REGINALD THOMAS, BOB WILBER
In-School Clinicians: RON CARTER, JUSTIN DICIOCCIO, VINCENT GARDNER, VICTOR GOINES, WYCLIFFE GORDON, LOREN SCHOENBERG, TERELL STAFFORD and RODNEY WHITAKER
Mentors: members of the JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA
EE Essay Contest: judged by DAN MORGENSTERN
Free tickets for the Competition can be obtained at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office, Broadway at 60th Street beginning on April 25. Tickets for the Concert and Awards Ceremony are $20 or $25 and available now at the Avery Fisher Hall Box Office, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office, by calling CenterCharge at (212) 721-6500 or at www.jalc.org
