Forty-Eight Students from 14 Monterey Peninsula Schools are Selected
Monterey, Calif.; November 21, 2022; Monterey Jazz Festival is excited to announce the return of MJF’s Regional All-Star Band and Vocal Ensemble, as well as the Regional All-Star Middle School Combo.
Directed by Stu Reynolds (Regional All-Star Band); renowned educator Dr. Rob Klevan (Regional All-Star Vocal Jazz Ensemble and Regional All-Star Middle School Combo); and Mrs. Janice Perl (Regional All-Star Vocal Ensemble), each all-star ensemble represents a cross section of Monterey County private and public schools on the Monterey Peninsula. In the 2022-2023 year, 48 All-Star members include students from 14 county middle and high schools, including Carmel, Monterey, Notre Dame, Pacific Grove, Ocean Grove Charter, Palma, Salinas, San Benancio, Santa Catalina, Stevenson, York, and others. Ensembles will rehearse twice a month at York School.
To see a list of 2022-2023 All-Star Ensembles and students, click here.
Monterey Regional All-Star Ensembles have previously toured across the region, the West Coast, and the United States, including performances at the Kennedy Center and Bohemian Caverns in Washington DC; the Vancouver and Victoria jazz festivals in British Columbia; Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley in Seattle; the Jazz in the Woods Festival in Overland Park, Kansas; the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City; the Jazz Bistro in St. Louis; and many other festivals and events.
The All-Star Ensembles will perform a series of concerts leading up to the 66th Monterey Jazz Festival, which happens September 22-24, 2023. Scheduled events include appearances at the Corral de Tierra Rotary Club in Salinas in May, MJF’s Summer Jazz Camp in Pebble Beach on June, Jazz on the Plazz in Los Gatos in July, and the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, Salinas Valley Food and Wine Festival and Rancho Cielo in August.
New for the 2023 Regional All-Star program is a Certificate of Excellence in Professional Musicianship, awarded to participants in the All-Star Band or Vocal Ensemble students who satisfy a set of established education requirements and can be used in college applications to accompany a letter of recommendation from MJF’s education department. Distinguished alumni of MJF’s Regional All-Star Bands include pianists Milton Fletcher and Patrick Hogan, trumpeters Tanya Darby and Akili Bradley, bassist Kanoa Mendenhall, and drummer James Williams.
“The certificate program will motivate the students to become better musicians through experience and observation,” said Claire Kim-Shin, Education Specialist for the Monterey Jazz Festival. “Participants will not only rehearse and perform but also attend jazz concerts and events to listen to other professional and student artists to learn from them.”
2023 All Star Band and Vocal Ensemble Performances:
April 2023: Date TBD, Loren Schoenberg “Bach is the First Jazz Musician” event at CSUMB/World Theater, Seaside
May 11, 2023: Corral de Tierra Rotary Club Benefit Concert, Salinas
June 29, 2023: Community Concert at Summer Jazz Camp at Stevenson School, Pebble Beach
July 2023: Date TBD, Jazz on the Plazz, Los Gatos
August 2023: Date TBD, San Jose Jazz Fest, San Jose
August 2023: Date TBD, Jazz at Rancho Cielo, Salinas
August 2023: Date TBD, Salinas Valley Food and Wine Festival, Salinas
September 22-24, 2023: 66th Monterey Jazz Festival, Monterey
2023 Regional All Star Middle School Combo Performances:
June 29, 2023: Community Concert at Summer Jazz Camp at Stevenson School, Pebble Beach
September 22-24, 2023: 66th Monterey Jazz Festival, Monterey
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The mission of Monterey Jazz Festival is to inspire the discovery and celebration of jazz, anchored by an iconic festival. Founded in 1958, 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.
For more information, high-resolution pictures and interview opportunities please contact:
Timothy Orr, Marketing Associate
Monterey Jazz Festival
Direct Line: 831.646.8670
timorr@montereyjazzfestival.org
For more information about MJF’s education initiatives, please visit montereyjazzfestival.org or contact:
Claire Kim-Shin, Education Specialist
Monterey Jazz Festival
Direct Line: 831.373.8842
claire@montereyjazzfestival.org