Sfjazz High School Allstars

Directed by esteemed educator and performer Paul Contos, the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Jazz Orchestra comprises 24 of the finest young Bay Area jazz musicians, selected annually by competitive audition. The ensemble has appeared at the San Francisco Jazz Festival, SFJAZZ Spring Season, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington Competition, Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival, the Jazz Education Network Conference, and at concerts in top professional jazz clubs, festivals, museums, and community arts centers throughout California. Ensemble members enjoy regular workshops, master classes and mentoring sessions with leading artists, such as members of the SFJAZZ Collective, Terence Blanchard, Yusef Lateef, and Vijay Iyer. The rewards are evident in their "dynamite" (JazzTimes) performances, which give "testimony to the continuing persistence of the creative spirit" (Los Angeles Times). "These kids are amazing," wrote the San Jose Mercury News, "jazz has a future!"