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Stanford Jazz Workshop makes the Top 30

Dizzy Gillespie with drummer Bill Stewart at 1984 Stanford Jazz Workshop.
Stanford Jazz Workshop
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Dizzy Gillespie with drummer Bill Stewart at 1984 Stanford Jazz Workshop.

The Stanford Jazz Workshop, high school band project on the Stanford campus has been named one of the top 30 high school bands in the nation.

In a milestone for the program, The Stanford Jazz Workshop has been selected to compete in the 30th annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival hosted by Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York.

The Stanford Jazz Workshop has been around for more than 50 years. It’s a summer immersion program that brings high school students to Stanford University’s campus. They learn from some of the best jazz performers and educators in the country. Notable faculty have included jazz greats, such as Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz. Notable alumni include Joshua Redman and Larry Grenadier.

The 2025 Essentially Ellington competition is scheduled for May 7-11, in New York City. It will feature workshops, jam sessions, and performances. Students will have their final performance at the famed Metropolitan Opera House.

Clara Kamunde is an Oakland-based, Kenyan-born arts integration specialist, museum educator and professional storyteller.