The Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival is an annual high school jazz festival and competition that takes place every May at

Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz at Lincoln Center is an organization based in New York City. Part of Lincoln Center, the organization was founded in 1987 and opened at Time Warner Center (now Deutsche Bank Center) in October 2004. The organization seeks to “represent th ...

in New York City. The festival is aimed at encouraging young musicians to play music by

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

and other jazz musicians.

Process

Every year Jazz at Lincoln Center transcribes

arrangements In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing Composition (music), composition. Differences from the original composition may include Harmony (music), reharmonization, Musical phrasing, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or M ...

of Ellington's music and sends them to participating high school band directors in the U.S. and Canada. During the year, band directors are sent a newsletter and given access to online educational materials to help with the arrangements. Students can email Jazz at Lincoln Center for help and send recordings of their band's finished performances to the Center for evaluation. These recordings can also count as applications to the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival in New York City. Fifteen top bands are invited to the festival, which occurs every May at Frederick Rose Hall in Jazz at Lincoln Center. The festivals ends with an awards ceremony for the top three bands, then a concert by the

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (also known as the JLCO) is an American big band and jazz orchestra led by trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. The orchestra is part of Jazz at Lincoln Center, a performing arts organization in New York City. History ...

led by

Wynton Marsalis Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, and music instructor, who is currently the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has been active in promoting classical and jazz music, often to young ...

. In 2013 a new selection process was introduced, under which the top three bands from five national regions compete in New York City. Another major change made that year was the opening up of the main competition to allow conglomerate bands (extra-curricular bands composed of students from more than one school, often sponsored by local performing arts organizations) to compete directly with the bands affiliated with schools, instead of one conglomerate band being chosen to appear outside the competition as a special guest in an exhibition performance, as was the case previously. The 25th annual edition of the competition and festival was scheduled to feature classic Ellington charts re-released once again. It was also announced on “Acceptd”, the official application site, that, due to the 25th anniversary the region system has been eliminated, and a total of eighteen bands will be selected, three more than in years past. However, due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 virus, Jazz At Lincoln Center announced that the “in person” aspects of the event were cancelled, with Wynton Marsalis presenting a Q&A session on the day of the festival, jam sessions, clinics, sectionals, concerts, and even the traditional cheer tunnel all being held virtually. No winners were announced, although honors to individual soloists and sections were given. Also present for the first time in 2020 were five international youth jazz orchestras, from Japan, Scotland, Australia, Spain, and Cuba, increasing the total number of participating ensembles in the 2020 festival to twenty-three. The 2021 festival was originally scheduled to be an in-person event featuring music of pivotal arranger and pioneering electric guitarist Eddie Durham alongside the traditional Duke Ellington musical releases. However, the course of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that this arrangement simply wasn't feasible. The festival pushed back the release of new music until the 2021-2022 school year, and encouraged participating schools to submit one song from the entire Essentially Ellington library in either a synchronous or asynchronous fashion. Submission due dates were pushed back to March and the actual festival to early June. The 2021 festival also introduced new rules regarding the submissions of conglomerate bands (extra-curricular bands composed of students from more than one school), a previously largely unregulated field. The festival provided and official definition of conglomerate bands, stating that they need to follow a specific course of study, as well as a scope and sequence, all in addition to weekly rehearsals and scheduled public performances. All-Star, All-State, and All-Region bands are barred from competition, as are bands created for the sole purpose of competing in Essentially Ellington. For the 30th anniversary of the competition and festival, the region system was once again abandoned and a total of thirty bands were selected to participate, double the amount in years prior. Twenty-seven bands were chosen across the United States, and three international bands from Japan, Australia, and Spain were also invited to compete.

Background

When the program began in 1995, it was offered only to school bands in New York City. During the next few years, the program grew to include schools in all U.S. states and Canada. Over 4000 schools have received materials. Beginning in early 2006, JALC announced the debut of the festival's first regional. The regional festivals are non-competitive and offer high school jazz bands of different levels the opportunity to play Ellington's music while also receiving professional feedback. Starting in 2008, music by big band composers other than Ellington was used for the first time, three

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

selections. In succeeding years they have also released songs by:

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( ; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

Mary Lou Williams Mary Lou Williams (born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs; May 8, 1910 – May 28, 1981) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. She wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded more than one hundred records (in 78, 45, and ...

Gerald Wilson Gerald Stanley Wilson (September 4, 1918 – September 8, 2014) was an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer, arranger, and educator. Born in Mississippi, he was based in Los Angeles from the early 1940s. He arranged music for D ...

Fletcher Henderson James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952) was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was one of the most prolific black musical ...

, and

Benny Golson Benny Golson (January 25, 1929 – September 21, 2024) was an American bebop and hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He came to prominence with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, more as a writer than a p ...

. For the 2013 and 2015 competitions, Essentially Ellington returned to its original format of six Ellington charts. After the finalists are announced, clinicians are sent to each of the finalist schools to provide a jazz workshop and prepare the bands for competition. The clinicians are usually members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Notable alumni of the competition includes Grammy-nominated trombonist Nick Finzer who serves on the jazz faculty at UNT and founded The Outside The Music record label.

Finalists

Several high school bands from the Seattle area have participated including repeat finalists: Bothell; Roosevelt; Garfield; Shorewood; Mount Si; Edmonds-Woodway; Mountlake Terrace; Newport and Ballard high schools. In 2008, five of the fifteen bands to compete were from the greater Seattle area. Acknowledging the region's dominance at the competition, Marsalis, tongue only half in cheek, challenged the remaining schools/regions, "to do something about Seattle and Washington." An asterisk (*) indicates a band was chosen as the winner of the community ensemble showcase, but did not directly compete in the festival.

Alabama

Virgil I. Grissom High School Virgil I. Grissom High School, more commonly referred to as Grissom High School, is a public high school in Huntsville, Alabama, United States with approximately 2000 students in grades 9– 12 from Southeast Huntsville. The school was named a 20 ...

– Huntsville, Alabama, 1999 * Hoover High School – Hoover, Alabama, 2025

Arizona

* Tucson Jazz Institute – Tucson, Arizona, 2010*, 2012*, 2013 (1st), 2014 (1st), 2015 (2nd), 2016 (3rd), 2017 (1st), 2018 (3rd), 2021, 2025

California

* Agoura High School (Jazz I) – Agoura Hills, California, 2004, 2005, 2006 (H.M.), 2007 (2nd), 2009, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024 (3rd), 2025 * Agoura High School (Jazz II) – Agoura Hills, California, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2015 * Albany High School – Albany, California, 2010 *

Calabasas High School Calabasas High School is a four-year high school in Calabasas, California, United States. Calabasas High School, which serves Calabasas, Bell Canyon, and portions of West Hills, Los Angeles, is one of three high schools in the Las Virgenes Un ...

– Calabasas, California, 2003, 2006, 2009 *

Esperanza High School Esperanza High School (EHS) is a public high school located in Anaheim, California and is part of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District. It is a California Distinguished School and is home to various California Interscholastic Feder ...

– Anaheim, California, 2012 *

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA, ) is a visual and performing arts high school located on the campus of California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is a public school, ...

– Los Angeles, California, 2003 (3rd), 2006, 2009 *

Orange County School of the Arts Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA, ), is a 7th–12th grade public charter school located in downtown Santa Ana, California. The school caters to middle and high school students with talents in the performing, visual, literary arts, cul ...

- Santa Ana, California 2022 (3rd), 2023, 2024, 2025 *

Rio Americano High School Rio Americano High School, colloquially known as Rio, is a public high school in Arden-Arcade, California, just outside Sacramento, California, Sacramento, serving students in grades 9 through 12 as part of the San Juan Unified School District. ...

– Sacramento, California, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012 (H.M.), 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2025 *

San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts The San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts (SDSCPA) is an audition-only public arts magnet school in southeastern San Diego, California. It is a non-tuition school in San Diego Unified School District. It provides pre-professional ...

- San Diego, California, 2016, 2019 * SF Jazz All-Star High School Ensemble – San Francisco, California, 2002, 2003 (H.M.) *

Stanford Jazz Workshop Stanford Jazz Workshop (SJW) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to jazz education and the annual concert series known as the Stanford Jazz Festival. SJW was founded in 1972 by saxophonist and educator Jim Nadel. Though many of its activities a ...

– Stanford, California, 2025

Colorado

Denver School of the Arts Denver School of the Arts (DSA) is a comprehensive arts secondary public magnet school, serving grades 6–12. Located at 7111 Montview Boulevard in the Park Hill neighborhood of Denver, Colorado, the school is operated by the Denver Public Sc ...

– Denver, Colorado, 1999, 2004, 2017 (2nd), 2019, 2020

Connecticut

* Connecticut Youth Jazz Workshop –

Middletown, Connecticut Middletown is a city in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. Located along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles (25.749504 km) south of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. Middletown is the largest city in the L ...

, 2000, 2002 *

Greenwich High School Greenwich High School is a four-year public high school in Greenwich, Connecticut, United States. The school is part of the Greenwich Public Schools system and serves roughly 2,700 students. It offers over 295 courses and a wide variety of co-cu ...

– Greenwich, Connecticut, 1996, 2003, 2007 * Guilford High School – Guilford, Connecticut, 1997, 1998 (H.M.), 1999, 2003 * Hall High School – West Hartford, Connecticut, 1997 (3rd), 1998 (1st), 1999 (2nd), 2000 (1st), 2001 (H.M.), 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025

Florida

* Community Arts Program – Coral Gables, Florida 2013, 2014, 2015 *

Dillard High School Dillard High School is a historic public middle and high school located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The school was established in 1907 as Colored School 11 and was later named for black-education advocate James H. Dillard. It is a part of Bro ...

– Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 2010 (2nd), 2011 (1st), 2012 (1st), 2013 (H.M.), 2014 (3rd), 2015 (H.M.), 2017 (3rd), 2018 (1st), 2019 (2nd), 2020, 2021 *

Douglas Anderson School of the Arts Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals * Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking * Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civi ...

– Jacksonville, Florida, 2004, 2006 (1st), 2008 *

Dreyfoos School of the Arts Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts (DSOA) is a Public school (government funded), public high school in West Palm Beach, Florida. Formerly named the Palm Beach County School of the Arts (also known as "School of the Arts" or "SOA"), the sc ...

– West Palm Beach, Florida, 1998, 2021, 2024, 2025 (H.M.) *

Howard W. Blake High School Howard W. Blake High School is a public magnet high school, with an emphasis on the arts, in Tampa, Florida, United States. It is operated by the School District of Hillsborough County. Originally opened in 1956 as a school for African-American ...

– Tampa, Florida, 1999 (H.M.) *

New World School of the Arts The New World School of the Arts (NWSA) is a public magnet high school and college in Downtown Miami, Florida. Its dual-enrollment programs in the visual and performing arts are organized into four strands: visual arts, dance, theatre (comprising ...

– Miami, Florida, 2000 (2nd), 2002 (3rd), 2003 (2nd), 2004 (H.M.), 2005 (1st), 2009 (H.M.), 2010, 2011 (H.M.), 2012 (3rd), 2013, 2015, 2016 (1st), 2020, 2022, 2023 (3rd), 2025 * Osceola County High School for the Arts – Kissimmee, Florida, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2022 (1st), 2023 (1st), 2024 (2nd), 2025 (3rd) *

Tarpon Springs High School Tarpon Springs High School is a public high school in Tarpon Springs, Florida. The school graduated its first class of seniors in the year 1906. The school is known for its football team, Band, Leadership Conservatory, Culinary department, and Ve ...

– Tarpon Springs, Florida, 2019, 2020 *

University High School University High School may refer to: Australia * University High School, Melbourne, Victoria Canada * University Hill Secondary School, Vancouver, British Columbia United States Arizona * University High School (Tolleson) * University High Sc ...

- Orange City, Florida, 2016

Georgia

The Lovett School The Lovett School is a coeducational kindergarten through twelfth grade independent school located in north Atlanta, Georgia, United States. History In September 1926, Eva Edwards Lovett, an educator who emphasized the development of the whole ...

– Atlanta, Georgia, 2000, 2001 (3rd), 2004 (H.M.), 2010

Illinois

Champaign Central High School Champaign Central High School is a high school located in Champaign, Illinois. It has 1,509 students in grades 9- 12. The principal is Joe Williams. It is part of the Champaign Unit 4 School District school system. Its sports teams are the Cha ...

– Champaign, Illinois, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2021 * DeKalb High School– DeKalb, Illinois, 2008, 2012 *

Downers Grove South High School Downers Grove South High School, or DGS, and locally referred to as "South", is a public four-year high school located at the corner of Dunham Road and 63rd Street in Downers Grove, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United S ...

– Downers Grove, Illinois, 2011 * East St. Louis Senior High School – East St. Louis, Illinois, 2011 *

Lake Zurich High School Lake Zurich High School, LZHS, or Lake Zurich Senior High School is a public four-year high school located in Lake Zurich, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, in the United States. It is part of Community Unit School District 95, which is ho ...

– Lake Zurich, Illinois, 2006 *

Lyons Township High School Lyons Township High School (often referred to as LTHS or simply LT) is a public high school in Western Springs, Illinois (South Campus), and La Grange, Illinois (North Campus). Lyons Township is a coeducational high school and serves grades 9� ...

– La Grange, Illinois, 2015 *

Naperville North High School Naperville North High School is a public four-year high school located at the corner of Ogden Avenue and Mill Street in the northern-central part of Naperville, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It’s a part ...

– Naperville, Illinois, 2000 * St. Charles High School – St. Charles, Illinois, 1998, 2000 *

St. Charles East High School St. Charles East High School is a public four-year high school located in St. Charles, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of St. Charles Community Unit School District 303, Community Unit School D ...

– St. Charles, Illinois, 2003 *

St. Charles North High School Saint Charles North (SCN) High School is a public four-year high school, located in St. Charles, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Community Unit School District 303 which also includes Saint C ...

– St. Charles, Illinois, 2004, 2011 *

Thornton Township High School Thornton Township High School, often simply referred to as Thornton is a State school, public high school founded in 1899, located in Harvey, Illinois, Harvey, one of the Chicago Southland, South Suburbs of the city of Chicago, Illinois, USA. The ...

– Harvey, Illinois, 2002 * Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage – Wheaton, Illinois, 2001 (H.M.), 2008*, 2024, 2025

Indiana

Southport High School Southport High School is a public high school located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Located in Perry Township, on the south side of the city, Southport is a part of the Perry Township Schools. Demographics The demographic breakdown ...

– Indianapolis, Indiana, 1999 *

Whiteland Community High School Whiteland Community High School (or WCHS) is a public high school located in Whiteland, Indiana. It is the only high school in continuous use in the town of Whiteland. It is a part of the Clark-Pleasant Community School Corporation, which serve ...

- Whiteland, Indiana, 2014 *

Noblesville High School Noblesville High School is a public high school in Noblesville, Indiana, United States. NHS serves students in grades 9 through 12, and graduated its first class in 1876. Its attendance boundary includes much of Noblesville. Demographics The dem ...

- Noblesville, Indiana, 2021, 2022

Iowa

North Scott High School North Scott High School is a suburban public four-year comprehensive high school located in Eldridge, Iowa. The school is part of the North Scott Community School District, and has an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students in grades 9 throu ...

– Eldridge, Iowa, 2009 *

Sioux City North High School North High School (commonly North, North High, or NHS) is a public high school located in Sioux City, Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Missis ...

– Sioux City, Iowa, 2006 * Valley High School – West Des Moines, Iowa, 1999, 2011

Kansas

Shawnee Mission East High School Shawnee Mission East High School is a public high school in Prairie Village, Kansas, United States, for grades 9 through 12. It is one of five high schools operated by the Shawnee Mission USD 512 school district. Shawnee Mission East High Sc ...

– Prairie Village, Kansas, 2001, 2006 *

Olathe Northwest High School Olathe Northwest High School is a public high school located in Olathe, Kansas, United States, serving students in grades 9–12. The school is one of five high schools in the Olathe USD 233 school district. The school colors are blue, black, a ...

– Olathe, Kansas, 2021

Maryland

Arundel High School Arundel High School is a public high school located in Gambrills, Maryland, a suburb of Anne Arundel County. The school is part of the Anne Arundel County Public School system, and is the primary high school for Gambrills and portions of the ...

– Gambrills, Maryland, 2001

Massachusetts

* Foxborough High School – Foxborough, Massachusetts, 1997 (1st), 1998 (2nd), 1999 (H.M.), 2000 (H.M.), 2001 (H.M.), 2002, 2003, 2004 (2nd), 2005, 2007 (3rd), 2009, 2010 (3rd), 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 (3rd), 2021, 2022 (2nd), 2023 *

King Philip Regional High School King Philip Regional High School (KPRHS) is a regional high school in Wrentham, Massachusetts, United States. It is a part of the King Philip Regional School District, drawing students from three towns: Wrentham, Norfolk, and Plainville. Mar ...

– Wrentham, Massachusetts, 2002, 2007 (H.M.), 2010, 2024, 2025 * Lexington High School – Lexington, Massachusetts, 1998 (H.M.), 1999, 2003, 2006, 2013, 2014, 2015 (3rd), 2016, 2017 * Medfield High School – Medfield, Massachusetts, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2014 *

Newton South High School Newton South High School is one of two public high schools in the city of Newton, Massachusetts, United States, the other being Newton North. History and student life By the late 1950s, Newton's sole public high school, Newton High, grew to 3 ...

– Newton, Massachusetts, 2018, 2021, 2025 *

Wellesley High School Wellesley High School is a public high school in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States, educating students on grades 9 through 12. The principal is Jamie Chisum, who took the position in 2014 after the departure of Andrew Keough. As of 202 ...

– Wellesley, Massachusetts, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011

Michigan

* Ann Arbor Huron High School – Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2025 * Byron Center High School – Byron Center, Michigan, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 *

Interlochen Center for the Arts Interlochen Center for the Arts ( '; also known as I.C.A. or Inty) is a Nonprofit organization, non-profit corporation which operates Visual arts education, arts education institutions and Music venue, performance venues. Established in 1928 b ...

– Interlochen, Michigan, 1998, 2003

Missouri

* Grandview High School – Grandview, Missouri, 2007

Nebraska

Lincoln Southeast High School Lincoln Southeast High School is a public high school located in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Lincoln Public Schools district. Lincoln Southeast High School has the highest accreditation from the Nebraska Department ...

– Lincoln, Nebraska, 1999

New Jersey

* Jazz House Kids – Montclair, New Jersey 2013 (2nd), 2014 (2nd), 2016, 2022, 2025 *

Newark Academy Newark Academy is a coeducational private day school located in Livingston, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in sixth through twelfth grades. It was the first school in New Jersey to offer the International Ba ...

– Livingston, New Jersey 2012, 2015, 2017 (H.M.), 2018 (2nd), 2019, 2022, 2024 (1st), 2025 *

Parsippany High School Parsippany High School (also known as PHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school, one of two high schools in Parsippany-Troy Hills, in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Parsippany-Troy Hills S ...

– Parsippany, New Jersey, 1996

New York

* 315 All-Stars –

Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

, New York, 2001 (1st), 2002, 2003 (H.M.) * Adlai E. Stevenson High School – Bronx, New York, 1996 (3rd) * Brentwood High School – Brentwood, New York 1996, 1997 *

Canandaigua Academy Canandaigua Academy is a high school (grades 9-12) in Canandaigua, New York, United States. It is part of the Canandaigua City School District. The school was named a national Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education ...

– Canandaigua, New York, 1996 * Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music - Bronx, NY 2020, 2025 * Eastman Youth Jazz Ensemble –

Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...

, 2003, 2005*, 2006* *

Ethical Culture Fieldston School The Ethical Culture Fieldston School (ECFS), also known more simply as Fieldston or Ethical Culture, is a private pre-K through twelfth grade coeducational school in New York City with two campuses, in Manhattan and in the Bronx. The school is ...

– Riverdale, New York, 1996 *

Honeoye Falls–Lima High School Honeoye Falls–Lima High School (HF–L) is a public high school located south of the city of Rochester in the village of Honeoye Falls, New York, United States. Awards and recognition In 2016, the Honeoye Falls–Lima High School was named ...

– Honeoye Falls, New York, 1996 (2nd), 1997 (H.M.), 2004, 2007 * Honeoye Falls-Perinton Jazz Ensemble – Honeoye Falls, NY, 1999 * Kingston High School – Kingston, New York, 2009 * Laurens Central School – Laurens, New York, 1996 *

Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, often referred to simply as LaGuardia or "LaG", is a public High school (North America), high school specializing in teaching visual arts and performing arts, near Lincoln ...

– New York, New York, 1996 (1st), 1997 (2nd), 1998, 1999 (1st), 2000 (H.M.), 2002, 2005, 2010 *

Miller Place High School Miller Place High School is a State school, public Secondary school, high school in the Miller Place, New York, Miller Place Union Free School District along the north shore of Long Island, New York (state), New York, United States. It is the di ...

– Miller Place, New York, 1996 *

Penfield High School Penfield High School (PHS) is a State school, public High school (North America), high school in Penfield, New York, United States. It offers a comprehensive curriculum for students in grades 9–12. History Penfield Seminary The predecessor o ...

– Penfield, New York, 1997, 1998, 1999 * Rochester Area High School Jazz Ensemble – Honeoye Falls, New York, 2000 *

Susan Wagner High School Susan E. Wagner High School is a New York City public school located at 1200 Manor Road in Staten Island, New York. The school is owned and run by the New York City Department of Education. It opened in September 1968, and was named in honor o ...

– Staten Island, New York, 2023 (2nd), 2024, 2025 *

West Genesee High School West Genesee High School (colloquially referred to as West Genny or WG) is a 9–12 public high school in Camillus, New York, United States. It is part of the West Genesee Central School District. Recognized academic programs In addition to gen ...

– Camillus, New York, 1997 * Williamsville East High School – East Amherst, New York, 1999, 2007

North Carolina

* Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble – Raleigh, North Carolina, 2016 (2nd), 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024

Ohio

* Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra –

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

, 2002 *

Lakota East High School Lakota East High School is a four-year, public high school in Liberty Township, a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It is a member of the Lakota Local School District, which comprises both West Chester Township and Liberty Township. ...

– Liberty Township, Ohio 2012 *

Westerville South High School Westerville South High School is a public high school located in Westerville, Ohio, northeast of Columbus, Ohio. Originally Westerville High School, it is the oldest of the three high schools in the Westerville City School District. It serves mo ...

– Westerville, Ohio, 2004

Oregon

* American Music Program Pacific Crest Jazz Orchestra - Portland, Oregon, 2007*, 2008*, 2009*, 2011*, 2013, 2015 (1st) *

Arts & Communication Magnet Academy Arts & Communication Magnet Academy (ACMA) is a publicly funded arts magnet school in Beaverton, Oregon, United States. It is a member of the International Network of Schools for the Advancement of Arts Education. The school opened in 1992, in ...

– Beaverton, Oregon, 2005

Pennsylvania

Pennsbury High School Pennsbury High School is a four-year public high school located in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Pennsbury School District. With 2,907 students enrolled for the 2021–2022 school year, Pennsbury High School is the ...

– Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, 1997 (H.M.) *

State College Area High School State College Area High School, colloquially known as "State High," is a public high school in State College, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the only public high school in the State College Area School District and is within walking dista ...

– State College, Pennsylvania, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2009 *

Upper Darby High School Upper Darby High School (UDHS) is a four-year public high school located in Upper Darby Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Upper Darby School District. Established in 1895, it is the oldest high school in Delaware Count ...

– Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, 1998

Rhode Island

* Barrington High School – Barrington, Rhode Island, 1998, 2000

Tennessee

Hume-Fogg High School Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School is a public magnet high school serving grades 9–12 and located in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, United States. History Hume School, serving the first through 12th grades, opened in 1855 on Eighth Avenue ...

– Nashville, Tennessee, 1998, 2010 * Memphis Central High School - Memphis, Tennessee, 2020, 2021, 2025 (1st)

Texas

Carroll Senior High School Carroll Senior High School (commonly known as Southlake Carroll) is a public secondary school in Southlake, Texas, serving students in grades 11 and 12. The school is part of the Carroll Independent School District, serving the majority of the c ...

– Southlake, Texas, 2007, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2025 *

High School for the Performing and Visual Arts Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (Kinder HSPVA, HSPVA or PVA) is a secondary school located at 790 Austin Street in the downtown district of Houston, Texas. The school is a part of the Houston Independent School District ...

– Houston, Texas, 1999 (3rd) *

Plano Senior High School Plano Senior High School (commonly Plano, Plano Senior High, or PSHS) is a public high school, public secondary school in Plano, Texas, serving students in grades eleventh grade, 11–twelfth grade, 12. The school is part of the Plano Independ ...

– Plano, Texas, 2005, 2010 *

Plano West Senior High School Plano West Senior High School (commonly known as West, Plano West, or PWSH) is a public high school in Plano, Texas serving high school juniors and seniors. Plano West is named after its geographic location within West Plano. The school is part ...

– Plano, Texas 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 * Stephen F. Austin High School – Austin, Texas, 2008 * Temple High School – Temple, Texas, 2004, 2011

Utah

* Crescent Super Band – American Fork, Utah, 2016

Virginia

Chantilly High School Chantilly High School is a public high school in the Chantilly CDP in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It is part of the Fairfax County Public Schools system. History Chantilly was originally built in 1972 with open ...

– Chantilly, Virginia, 1997, 1998 *

McLean High School McLean High School is a public high school within the Fairfax County Public Schools in McLean, Virginia, United States. In 2024, ''U.S. News & World Report'' rated McLean the 218th-best U.S. public high school, and fifth-best in Virginia. Hist ...

– McLean, Virginia, 1997

Washington

* Ballard High School – Seattle, Washington 2012, 2018 *

Battle Ground High School Battle Ground High School (BGHS) is a public high school in Battle Ground, Washington, United States. It is part of the Battle Ground Public Schools district. Sports Battle Ground is a member of the Washington Interscholastic Athletics Asso ...

– Battle Ground, Washington 2006 (2nd) *

Bothell High School Bothell High School is located in Bothell, Washington, United States, and is one of six high schools in the Northshore School District. Approximately 1,500 students in grades 9 through 12 attend the school, which is a member of the KingCo 4A athl ...

- Bothell, Washington 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 *

Edmonds Woodway High School Edmonds Woodway High School is one of five high schools in the Edmonds School District in Edmonds, Washington, United States. It serves students in grades 9–12. It was ranked as the No. 318 high school in America by ''Newsweek Magazine'' in ...

– Edmonds, Washington, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2017 * Garfield High School – Seattle, Washington, 1999 (H.M.), 2000 (H.M.), 2002 (2nd), 2003 (1st), 2004 (1st), 2005, 2006 (3rd), 2007, 2008 (2nd), 2009 (1st), 2010 (1st), 2013, 2014 (H.M.), 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024, 2025 * Kentlake High School – Kent, Washington, 2001 *

Kentridge High School Kentridge High School is a (senior) high school that is located on in Kent, Washington. It is the second-oldest and second-largest high school by area (while the largest by population) in the Kent School District. It primarily serves student ...

– Kent, Washington, 1999 *

Mead High School Mead High School (also Mead Senior High School, MHS) is a four-year public secondary school in Fairwood, Washington, United States, on the north side of the Spokane urban area. MHS is one of two traditional high schools in the Mead School Di ...

– Spokane, Washington, 2004, 2007 *

Mount Si High School Mount Si High School is a high school located in the Snoqualmie Valley in Snoqualmie, Washington and is a part of the Snoqualmie Valley School District. History According to the ''Seattle Times'', Mount Si High School was founded as early as 1944 ...

– Snoqualmie, Washington 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022 *

Mountlake Terrace High School Mountlake Terrace High School is a public high school located in Mountlake Terrace, Washington, United States. Mountlake Terrace HS is known for its Jazz Band and basketball program, which has won the Wesco Championship eight times. It is the thi ...

– Mountlake Terrace, Washington, 2000, 2002 (H.M.), 2005 (3rd), 2008, 2011 (3rd), 2012, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2025 * Newport High School – Bellevue, Washington, 2001, 2006, 2009 * Roosevelt High School – Seattle, Washington, 1999, 2000 (3rd), 2001 (2nd), 2002 (1st), 2004, 2005 (2nd), 2006, 2007 (1st), 2008 (1st), 2009 (2nd), 2010 (H.M.), 2011 (2nd), 2012 (2nd), 2013 (3rd), 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 (H.M.), 2019 (1st), 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 * Seattle JazzED Ellington Ensemble – Seattle, Washington, 2020 * Shorewood High School – Shoreline, Washington, 2000, 2001, 2005 (H.M.), 2008 (H.M.) *

South Whidbey High School South Whidbey School District #206 is a school district that operates on the "Southend" of Whidbey Island in the US state of Washington. The district offices are located in Langley. The current superintendent is Dr. Jo Moccia. The current sch ...

– Langley, Washington, 2008

West Virginia

Fairmont Senior High School Fairmont Senior High School, is a Public High School, public high school in Fairmont, West Virginia. The current school building, built in 1928, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Serving grades nine through twelve, it is one ...

– Fairmont, West Virginia, 1997

Wisconsin

* Badger Union High School –

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Lake Geneva is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located in Walworth County and situated on Geneva Lake, it was home to 8,277 people as of the 2020 census, up from 7,651 at the 2010 census. It is located southwest of Milwaukee and no ...

, 2009, 2012, 2013 *

Beloit Memorial High School Beloit Memorial High School is a public, four-year comprehensive high school in Beloit, Wisconsin. Academics Beloit Memorial has an enrollment of approximately 1,700 students, with 120 full-time certified staff and an average class size of 28 ...

– Beloit, Wisconsin, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 (H.M.), 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 *

North High School North High School may refer to: * North High School (Phoenix, Arizona) * North Pulaski High School, Jacksonville, Arkansas * North High School (Bakersfield, California) * John W. North High School, Riverside, California * North High School (Torran ...

– Eau Claire, Wisconsin 2012 * Memorial High School – Eau Claire, Wisconsin, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2009 (3rd), 2010 * Middleton High School – Middleton, Wisconsin, 2019 *

Pulaski High School Pulaski High School is a public high school in Pulaski, Wisconsin, United States, in Brown County (school district also serves parts of Shawano, Outagamie and Oconto counties), that serves students in grades 9 through 12. Its mascot is the R ...

– Pulaski, Wisconsin, 2001 * Sun Prairie Jazz Ensemble I (Sun Prairie West & East High Schools) – Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, 1998 (3rd), 2000, 2001, 2004 (3rd), 2008 (3rd), 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2025 *

Wauwatosa East High School Wauwatosa East High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school in the city of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. It is part of the Wauwatosa School District. The school was originally known as Wauwatosa Senior High School until the opening of Wauw ...

– Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, 2010

Australia

Blackburn High School Blackburn High School is a co-educational public secondary school for children from years 7 to 12 in Blackburn North, Victoria, Blackburn North, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, founded in 1956. The school has performed in prestigiou ...

– Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2020, 2025

Canada

River East Collegiate River East Collegiate is a public high school located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, that belongs to the River East Transcona School Division. River East has a school population of approximately 1,250 students. The school colours are blue and white and ...

– Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2011

Cuba

* La Jazz Band del Amadeo Roldán de la Habana – Havana, Cuba, 2020

Japan

* Tomisato High School – Tomisato, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, 2020, 2025

Scotland

* Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra – Edinburgh, Scotland, 2020

Spain

Sant Andreu Jazz Band Sant Andreu Jazz Band is a youth jazz band from Barcelona, featuring 7- to 20-year-olds. The bandleader is Joan Chamorro. History The band was founded in 2006 at Escola Municipal de Música de Sant Andreu. The band has performed at numerous con ...

– Barcelona, Spain, 2020, 2025 (2nd)

Composition Contest

In 2013, the Gerhard W. Vosshall Student Composition/Arranging Contest was added to the festival following a donation from the Vosshall family made in Gerhard's honor. The contest was renamed the "Dr. J. Douglas White Student Composition and Arranging Contest" in 2016. Each year, a winning composition is chosen from submissions sent from the US and Canada and is performed by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. The winning composer receives a cash prize, a trip to the competition in order to conduct their piece and a composition lesson. The lesson was originally with Ellington historian David Berger, but shifted to JLCO saxophonist Ted Nash in 2015.

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition And Festival Lincoln Center Music competitions in the United States Jazz festivals in New York City Recurring events established in 1995 Annual events in New York City