Jazz at Lincoln Center announced the three top-placing high school jazz bands in the world and more than 40 individual and section awards during the prestigious 30th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival final concert and awards ceremony on May 11 at the Metropolitan Opera House.
2025 Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival
Top Bands
1st PLACE
Memphis Central High School
Memphis, Tennessee
Directed by Dr. Ollie Liddell
2nd PLACE
Sant Andreu Jazz Band
Barcelona, Spain
Directed by Joan Chamorro
3rd PLACE
Osceola County School for the Arts
Kissimmee, Florida
Directed by Jason Anderson
From May 7-10, at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall, students participated in section-specific masterclasses, jam sessions with Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra members, pre-performance rehearsals, a celebratory dinner, and more. The competition culminated in an afternoon concert and awards ceremony on Sunday, May 11 at the Metropolitan Opera House where each top-placing band performed with its choice of Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra member as a featured soloist.
In honor of the milestone 30th anniversary, Jazz at Lincoln Center expanded the hallmark program, doubling the number of competing bands, and included international bands for the first time. A three day competition in years past, the 2025 Essentially Ellington Competition & Festival took place over five days.
Wynton Marsalis, Managing and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, presented awards to the top bands. Memphis Central High School from Memphis, Tennessee took home the first place trophy and an award of $10,000. Sant Andreu Jazz Band from Barcelona, Spain earned second place honors and a prize of $7,500. Osceola County School for the Arts from Kissimmee, Florida accepted third place with an award of $5,000. Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts from West Palm Beach, Florida was awarded an honorable mention and $2,500. The remaining bands were each awarded $1,000. All monetary awards will go toward improving the jazz education programs of each respective high school.
Members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Essentially Ellington alumnus presented 40 individual and section awards which included recognition for outstanding rhythm section, outstanding trumpet section, outstanding trombone soloist, outstanding piano soloist, and the new outstanding pep section. Below is the full list of awardees.
“Congratulations to all our bands who performed this week,” said Marsalis. “We recognize your sacrifice and commend you on your commitment. One of the things I’m most proud of about this festival is how it brings together parents, children, administrators, and communities around something truly worthwhile—the inner development of our kids.”
In addition to highlighting the best high school jazz bands in the world, the event also recognized Ethan Liao, a freshman at San Francisco University High School in San Francisco, CA, for winning the 13th Annual Dr. J. Douglas White Essentially Ellington Student Composition and Arranging Contest. On May 8, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra recorded his original composition,“By Candlelight.” On May 11, at the Metropolitan Opera House, Liao joined the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra on piano as they performed his winning composition. Additionally, Liao received a $1,000 cash prize, a composition lesson with GRAMMY Award-winning saxophonist Ted Nash, and a free trip to New York City for the week.
“The past five days have shown us that music, and especially jazz music, still has resonance in our culture. And that resonance can transcend the barriers that we are told exist between us,” said Todd Stoll, Vice President of Education at Jazz at Lincoln Center. “Essentially Ellington brings together a diverse group of young people all with one specific goal: to play jazz at the highest level, not as an act of nostalgia, but as the living embodiment of the highest ideals of our shared humanity. Congratulations to all the participants, and we shall swing again next year!”
Since its inception in 1987, Jazz at Lincoln Center has produced an extensive range of jazz educational and advocacy programs for all ages, including Essentially Ellington. This year’s finalists were selected from 127 schools, a record number, that submitted recordings of select tunes from Jazz at Lincoln Center’s R. Theodore Ammon Archives and Music Library. The program continues to spread the message of Duke Ellington’s music, leadership, and collective orientation, providing high school ensembles with free transcriptions of original Duke Ellington recordings – accompanied by rehearsal guides, original recordings, professional instruction, and more – to thousands of schools and community bands in 58 countries. To date, more than 7,100 high school bands have benefitted from free charts and resources.
Assets, including photos and videos of the three finalist bands, can be found here. Attribute image credit to Gilberto Tadday for Jazz at Lincoln Center and video credit to Jazz at Lincoln Center.
*Complete list of 2025 Essentially Ellington Awardees
HONORABLE MENTION RHYTHM SECTION
Garfield High School
Susan E. Wagner High School
Sant Andreu Jazz Band
OUTSTANDING RHYTHM SECTION
Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts
New World School of the Arts
Newark Academy
Memphis Central High School
HONORABLE MENTION SAXOPHONE SECTION
Roosevelt High School
Stanford Jazz Workshop
Blackburn High School
Hoover High School
Bothell High School
OUTSTANDING SAXOPHONE SECTION
Agoura High School
Garfield High School
Orange County School of the Arts
Plano West Senior High School
William H. Hall High School
OUTSTANDING CLARINET SECTION
Newton South High School
HONORABLE MENTION TROMBONE SECTION
Blackburn High School
OUTSTANDING TROMBONE SECTION
Byron Center High School
Orange County School of the Arts
New World School of the Arts
Memphis Central High School
HONORABLE MENTION TRUMPET SECTION
Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music
King Philip Regional High School
Newark Academy
OUTSTANDING TRUMPET SECTION
Orange County School of the Arts
Sant Andreu Jazz Band
Memphis Central High School
Osceola County School for the Arts
HONORABLE MENTION BRASS SECTION
Stanford Jazz Workshop
OUTSTANDING BRASS SECTION
Orange County School of the Arts
Plano West Senior High School
OUTSTANDING PEP SECTION
Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts
Tomisato High School
Susan E. Wagner High School
HONORABLE MENTION PIANO
Jose Morales (Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music)
James Pakhomou (Jazz House Kids)
Joshua Gargett (Roosevelt High School)
OUTSTANDING PIANO
Ben Collins-Siegel (Newark Academy)
Zach Michalec (Ann Arbor Huron High School)
Sophie Ionitsa (Mountlake Terrace High School)
Pau Garcia (Sant Andreu Jazz Band)
Atticus Coen (Sun Prairie High School)
HONORABLE MENTION GUITAR
Charlie Debski (Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage)
Joel Cooper (Rio Americano High School)
Giacomo Messina (Newark Academy)
OUTSTANDING GUITAR
Ryu Chan (New World School of the Arts)
Sydney Law (Byron Center High School)
Justin Ho (Mountlake Terrace High School)
OUTSTANDING BANJO
Sydney Law (Byron Center High School)
HONORABLE MENTION BASS
Julia Brideau (King Philip Regional High School)
Mac McRae (Hoover High School)
Ishow Hatakeyama (Tomisato High School)
OUTSTANDING BASS
Jacoby Bethea (Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts)
Sam Konin (Jazz House Kids)
Ted Crall (Newark Academy)
Laesio Littlejohn (Plano West Senior High School)
Zeke Hirsh (Tucson Jazz Institute)
HONORABLE MENTION DRUMS
Killian Donovan (Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music)
Ryan Weaver (Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage)
Evan Khaw (Blackburn High School)
OUTSTANDING DRUMS
Luc Randall (Roosevelt High School)
Cameron Payne (Ann Arbor Huron High School)
Elijah Lawler (Ann Arbor Huron High School)
Kiki Melick (William H. Hall High School)
OUTSTANDING DOUBLER (DRUMS & PERCUSSION)
Joeily Pena (Susan E. Wagner High School)
HONORABLE MENTION FLUTE
Aidan Gardner (Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts)
HONORABLE MENTION CLARINET
Nathan Tokunaga (Stanford Jazz Workshop)
Sophia Kidwell (Carroll Senior High School)
Luis Fernandez Guzman (Osceola County School for the Arts)
Akane Doi (Tomisato High School)
OUTSTANDING CLARINET
Leila Mostaghimi (Newton South High School)
Gabriel Huang (Rio Americano High School)
Akane Doi (Tomisato High School)
HONORABLE MENTION ALTO SAXOPHONE
Benji Riggio (New World School of the Arts)
Michael Shebar (Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage)
Nathan Tokunaga (Stanford Jazz Workshop)
Ace Aure (Blackburn High School)
Seth Langford (Bothell High School)
OUTSTANDING ALTO SAXOPHONE
Harrison Chisolm (King Philip Regional High School)
Jackson Hankins (Memphis Central High School)
Paolo Zulueta-Lomanno (Osceola County School for the Arts)
Quinn Knox (William H. Hall High School)
Julian Dominguez (Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage)
HONORABLE MENTION TENOR SAXOPHONE
Daniel Goodwin (Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts)
Elijah Boyd (Hoover High School)
Jay Thatte (Newark Academy)
Michael Fradkin (Carroll Senior High School)
OUTSTANDING TENOR SAXOPHONE
Chloe Madrak (William H. Hall High School)
Samuel Chung (Orange County School of the Arts)
Kiara Rouse (Osceola County School for the Arts)
Ryan Kaplan (New World School of the Arts)
Lola Peñaranda (Sant Andreu Jazz Band)
Ben Sherman (Jazz House Kids)
HONORABLE MENTION BARITONE SAXOPHONE
Bernat Benavente (Sant Andreu Jazz Band)
Yuta Horiuchi (Tomisato High School)
Aliah Bragg (Bothell High School)
OUTSTANDING BARITONE SAXOPHONE
Nicollette Sollis (Susan E. Wagner High School)
Jaxon Hirsh (Tucson Jazz Institute)
HONORABLE MENTION DOUBLER
Garett Ames (Agoura High School)
OUTSTANDING DOUBLER
Daniel Tauhert (Plano West Senior High School)
Sky Van Scoyoc (Roosevelt High School)
Samuel Chung (Orange County School of the Arts)
OUTSTANDING MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST
David Nguyen (Tucson Jazz Institute)
HONORABLE MENTION TROMBONE
Thomas Holmes(Bothell High School)
Robert Ford (King Philip Regional High School)
Isaiah Bunderson (Sun Prairie High School)
Jasmine Richards (Blackburn High School)
Andrew Krivenko (Susan E. Wagner High School)
Bennet Harvey (Mountlake Terrace High School)
OUTSTANDING TROMBONE
Jordan Klein (Agoura High School)
Sidney Kitchen (Ann Arbor Huron High School)
Eric Collins (King Philip Regional High School)
Marqese Cobb (Memphis Central High School)
HONORABLE MENTION TRUMPET
Rudradip Ray (Ann Arbor Huron High School)
Gerard Peñaranda (Sant Andreu Jazz Band)
Braeden Jackson (Hoover High School)
Timothy Park (Garfield High School)
Mia Rousseau (Rio Americano High School)
Ayden Retcheski (Sun Prairie High School)
OUTSTANDING TRUMPET
Miri Izenberg (Orange County School of the Arts)
Allie Molin (Orange County School of the Arts)
Matthew Harper (Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts)
Zach Balding (New World School of the Arts)
Adam Sheena (Newton South High School)
Marti Costalago (Sant Andreu Jazz Band)
Elsa Armengou (Sant Andreu Jazz Band)
Kingston Grandberry (Memphis Central High School)
OUTSTANDING LEAD TRUMPET
Maggie Kester (Carroll Senior High School)
Pedro Fregoso (Orange County School of the Arts)
Sam Tschopp (Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage)
OUTSTANDING VOCALS
Clàudia Rostey (Sant Andreu Jazz Band)
ELLA FITZGERALD AWARD
Akshra Yagnik (Newark Academy) – vocals
Xavier Anderson (Osceola County School for the Arts) – trumpet
The top-placing bands were chosen by a judging panel comprising distinguished jazz musicians and historians, including Randy Brecker, Carmen Bradford, Rich DeRosa, Joseph Jefferson, Ingrid Jensen, Sherrie Maricle, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Ulysses Owens Jr., Catherine Russell, Reggie Thomas, Camille Thurman, Bijon Watson, Liesel Whitaker, and Todd Williams.
The 2025 Essentially Ellington Competition Finalists (in alphabetical order):
Agoura High School (Agoura Hills, California)
Directed by Robert Hackett
Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts (West Palm Beach, Florida)
Directed by Christopher M. De León
Ann Arbor Huron High School (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
Directed by Robert Ash
Blackburn High School (Victoria, Australia)
Directed by Andrew O’Connell
Bothell High School (Bothell, Washington)
Directed by Matt Simmons
Byron Center High School (Byron Center, Michigan)
Directed by Marc Townley
Carroll Senior High School (Southlake, Texas)
Directed by David Lown
Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music (Bronx, New York)
Directed by Penelope Smetters-Jacono
Garfield High School (Seattle, Washington)
Directed by Jared Sessink
Hoover High School (Hoover, Alabama)
Directed by Sallie White
Jazz House Kids (Montclair, New Jersey)
Directed by Nathan Eklund
King Philip Regional High School (Wrentham, Massachusetts)
Directed by Michael Keough
Memphis Central High School (Memphis, Tennessee)
Directed by Dr. Ollie Liddell
Mountlake Terrace High School (Mountlake Terrace, Washington)
Directed by Darin Faul
Newark Academy (Livingston, New Jersey)
Directed by Julius Tolentino
New World School of the Arts (Miami, Florida)
Directed by Jim Gasior
Newton South High School (Newton, Massachusetts)
Directed by Lisa Linde
Orange County School of the Arts (Santa Ana, California)
Directed by John Reynolds
Osceola County School for the Arts (Kissimmee, Florida)
Directed by Jason Anderson
Plano West Senior High School (Plano, Texas)
Directed by Preston Pierce
Rio Americano High School (Sacramento, California)
Directed by Josh Murray
Roosevelt High School (Seattle, Washington)
Directed by Hannah Mowry
Sant Andreu Jazz Band (Barcelona, Spain)
Directed by Joan Chamorro
Stanford Jazz Workshop (Stanford, California)
Directed by Michael Galisatus
Sun Prairie High School (Sun Prairie, Wisconsin)
Directed by Matt McVeigh
Susan E. Wagner High School (Staten Island, New York)
Directed by Paul Corn
Tomisato High School (Chiba, Japan)
Directed by Masaki Shinohara
Tucson Jazz Institute (Tucson, Arizona)
Directed by Brice Winston
William H. Hall High School (West Hartford, Connecticut)
Directed by Phil Giampietro
Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage (Wheaton, Illinois)
Directed by Robert Blazek
For more information, please visit jazz.org/ee.
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About Jazz at Lincoln Center:
The mission of Jazz at Lincoln Center is to entertain, enrich and expand a global community for Jazz through performance, education, and advocacy. With the world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and guest artists spanning genres and generations, Jazz at Lincoln Center produces thousands of performance, education, and broadcast events each season in its New York City home (Frederick P. Rose Hall, “The House of Swing”) and worldwide, for all ages. Jazz at Lincoln Center is led by Chairman Clarence Otis, Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis, and Executive Director Greg Scholl. Please visit us at jazz.org.
A very special thanks to Jody and John Arnhold for their extraordinary support of Jazz at Lincoln Center, including its education initiatives.
Founding leadership support for Essentially Ellington is provided by
the Jack and Susan Rudin Educational and Scholarship Fund
and Gail and Alfred Engelberg.
Leadership support is provided by the Hearst Foundations, Inc.; the Dr. J. Douglas White Family Fund;
the Augustine Foundation; and the Weissman Family Foundation.
Major support is provided by the Michelle Deal Winfield and the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation.
Generous support is provided by the Susan Rudin Charitable Fund and
the Charles Evans Hughes Memorial Funds.
The Essentially Ellington Student Composition Contest is made possible through a generous gift by Dr. J. Douglas White.
In-kind support provided by Wegmans.
Press Inquiries:
Zooey Tidal Jones
Senior Director, Public Relations & External Communications
Jazz at Lincoln Center
[email protected]
212-258-9821
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