The “Concert for Kids" is a twenty-year tradition at the Monterey Jazz Festival. The Festival invites children from Monterey County middle and high schools to attend the free event every year, with an estimated 500 students attending. The concert is part of an outreach effort on the part of the educational programs of the Monterey Jazz Festival to bring free jazz music to the students of Monterey County.
Created as a part of the Monterey Jazz Festival's continuing commitment to jazz education, members of the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra were selected through an application process during MJF's Next Generation Jazz Festival each spring. Twenty-one high school musicians from six states comprise the 2010 Next Generation Jazz Orchestra including eleven students from California, five from Oregon, two from New York, and one each from Maryland, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
The Orchestra reassembles for their “Concert For Kids" performance on September 16, as well their MJF/53 performance on Sunday, September 19 on the Jimmy Lyons Stage, after their 10-day Tri-C to NYC North American Tour which included performances in Cleveland, Toronto, Montreal, and New York City, from June 30—July 7, 2010.
Former members of the Orchestra include pianists Benny Green and Patrice Rushen, bassist Larry Grenadier, drummer Chad Wackerman, saxophonists Joshua Redman, Eric Marienthal, Dave Koz, trombonist Andy Martin, and big band leader Gordon Goodwin to name a few. In the past, the band has been under the leadership of Ladd McIntosh, Don Schamber, Benny Golson, Bill Berry, and many more. Now under the tutelage of Mr. Paul Contos, the renowned saxophonist and flautist who serves as the director of the Orchestra, the ensemble is dedicated to the study and performance of the most challenging big band literature available.
In 2010, there are nine returning members for the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, including saxophonists Andrew Olson (Tualatin High School, Tualatin, Oregon) and Maximillian Zooi (Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Los Angeles, California); trombonists Kyle Molitor (Tigard High School, Tigard, Oregon), Jon Hatamiya (Davis Senior High School, Davis, California), John Egizi (Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Los Angeles, California) and Emmanuel Rojas (Warren High School, Downey, California); trumpeters Joshua Gawel (Daniel Boone Area High School, Birdsboro, Pennsylvania) Noah Hocker (American Music Program, Portland, Oregon); and vocalist Ben Lusher (The Masters School, Dobbs Ferry, New York). John Egizi and Emmanual Rojas are three-time members of the band.
The media is invited to attend and capture the excitement and energy of children experiencing live world-class jazz at the beautiful Monterey Fairgrounds.
Created as a part of the Monterey Jazz Festival's continuing commitment to jazz education, members of the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra were selected through an application process during MJF's Next Generation Jazz Festival each spring. Twenty-one high school musicians from six states comprise the 2010 Next Generation Jazz Orchestra including eleven students from California, five from Oregon, two from New York, and one each from Maryland, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
The Orchestra reassembles for their “Concert For Kids" performance on September 16, as well their MJF/53 performance on Sunday, September 19 on the Jimmy Lyons Stage, after their 10-day Tri-C to NYC North American Tour which included performances in Cleveland, Toronto, Montreal, and New York City, from June 30—July 7, 2010.
Former members of the Orchestra include pianists Benny Green and Patrice Rushen, bassist Larry Grenadier, drummer Chad Wackerman, saxophonists Joshua Redman, Eric Marienthal, Dave Koz, trombonist Andy Martin, and big band leader Gordon Goodwin to name a few. In the past, the band has been under the leadership of Ladd McIntosh, Don Schamber, Benny Golson, Bill Berry, and many more. Now under the tutelage of Mr. Paul Contos, the renowned saxophonist and flautist who serves as the director of the Orchestra, the ensemble is dedicated to the study and performance of the most challenging big band literature available.
In 2010, there are nine returning members for the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, including saxophonists Andrew Olson (Tualatin High School, Tualatin, Oregon) and Maximillian Zooi (Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Los Angeles, California); trombonists Kyle Molitor (Tigard High School, Tigard, Oregon), Jon Hatamiya (Davis Senior High School, Davis, California), John Egizi (Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Los Angeles, California) and Emmanuel Rojas (Warren High School, Downey, California); trumpeters Joshua Gawel (Daniel Boone Area High School, Birdsboro, Pennsylvania) Noah Hocker (American Music Program, Portland, Oregon); and vocalist Ben Lusher (The Masters School, Dobbs Ferry, New York). John Egizi and Emmanual Rojas are three-time members of the band.
The media is invited to attend and capture the excitement and energy of children experiencing live world-class jazz at the beautiful Monterey Fairgrounds.
