Seven District 99 musicians to attend jazz band competition, festival

Several Community High School District 99 students will be headed to New York City for the 29th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival, May 9 to 11.

Downers Grove South students participting areOwen Anderson, Lucas Ciocan, Anthony Lopez Al Zoerb and Gavin Schnall. Downers Grove North students making the trip Adam Pearson and John Fioti

These seven students are members of the Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage, an audition-only community jazz band of talented high school musicians. Last month, the group sent an audition tape to New York and was selected as a top 15 jazz ensemble in America.

The annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival is among the world’s most innovative jazz education events. Each year, high school musicians from North America travel to New York City for three days immersed in workshops, jam sessions, rehearsals, and performances at the “House of Swing,” Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center.