News & Updates

Congratulations to the 15 finalist bands who will compete for top honors at the 27th annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival. We look forward to hosting you at the House of Swing!

Beloit Memorial High School (Beloit, WI) Directed by Chris Behrens

Bothell High School (Bothell, WA) Directed by Philip Dean

Byron Center High School (Byron Center, MI) Directed by Marc Townley

Foxboro High School (Foxboro, MA) Directed by Aaron Bush

Jazz House Kids (Montclair, NJ) Directed by Nathan Eklund

Mount Si High School (Snoqualmie, WA) Directed by William Leather

New World School of the Arts (Miami, FL) Directed by Jim Gasior

Newark Academy (Livingston, NJ) Directed by Julius Tolentino 

Noblesville High School (Noblesville, IN) Directed by Bethany Robinson

Orange County School of the Arts (Santa Ana, CA) Directed by John Reynolds

Osceola County School for the Arts (Kissimmee, FL) Directed by Jason Anderson 

Plano West Senior High School (Plano, TX) Directed by Preston Pierce

Rio Americano High School (Sacramento, CA) Directed by Josh Murray

Roosevelt High School (Seattle, WA) Directed by Scott Brown

Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble (Raleigh, NC) Directed by Gregg Gelb

And the winner of the Dr. J. Douglas White Essentially Ellington Student Composition/Arranging Contest is:

Skylar Tang from Crystal Springs Uplands School in Hillsborough, California for the original composition, “Kaleidoscope”.