Young Musicians Selected for Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble
Students from 32 Schools Learn Jazz, Serve as Kimmel Center Ambassadors
November 11, 2003
This year’s ensemble will include 24 new members and 23 returning from last year’s inaugural ensemble. Students hail from 10 different schools in Philadelphia, 14 schools in the Pennsylvania suburbs and eight schools in South Jersey. All students were selected through competitive auditions held at the Kimmel Center in October.
Kimmel Center, Inc. created the Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble, now in its second season, to cultivate and train gifted young artists, while exposing them to a classic American art form. These young musicians now have an opportunity not only to train with accomplished jazz musicians and teachers but also to gain performance experience through appearances at the Kimmel Center and its concert halls. The ensemble also performs throughout the region as an ambassador for the Kimmel Center to the community. The Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble debuted at the performing arts center’s first anniversary celebration last year.
The ensemble is directed by Kimmel Center Teaching Artist Marc Johnson, a jazz pianist and trombonist who has played in the U.S. and abroad with jazz luminaries such as JJ Johnson, Slide Hampton, Al Grey, Clarke Terry, Freddie Hubbard, Jimmy Heath and Phil Woods as well as vocalists Lena Horne, Lou Rawls and Dianne Shurr.
Members of this season’s Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble are:
Name (Grade); Instrument; School
Sara Barbash-Riley (8); Trombone; Haverford Middle School
Tiffany Bayly (9); Trombone; Spring-Ford High School (Spring City, PA)
Jason Bookman (9); Alto Saxophone; Lower Merion HS
Steven Calabrese (8); Guitar; St. Monica School (Phila.)
Michael Calderone (8); Trumpet; Collingswood MS
Jared Cartwright (9); Alto Saxophone; Haverford HS
Mathew Cheaton (8); Percussion; Grover Washington Jr. MS (Philadelphia)
Tim Cook (8); Trumpet; Haddon Township Jr. High
Daniel Cowherd (9); Trumpet; Creative Arts HS (Camden)
Timothy Coyle (7); Trombone; Neshaminy Middle School (Langhorne, PA)
Thomas D’Amore (9); Alto Saxophone; CAPA (Phila.)
Steve Davit (8); Tenor Saxophone; Haverford MS
Mark Elkind (8); Guitar; Ridley MS
Justin Faulkner (7); Drums; GAMP (Phila.)
Michael Feinberg (8); Trombone; Beck MS (Cherry Hill)
Joseph Forman (8); Tenor Saxophone; Paxon Hollow (Newtown)
Peter Free (7); Trombone; Cedar Grove Acad. (Phila.)
Jonathan Freer (9); Alto Saxophone; Deptford HS
Michael Garcia (9); Percussion; Harriton HS(Rosemont, PA)
Matthew Gibson (8); Tenor Saxophone; Ancillae Assumpta Academy(Philadelphia)
Aaron Goldberg-Leopold (7); Baritone Saxophone; Bala Cynwyd MS
Scott Granato (9); Tenor Saxophone; Saul HS (Phila.)
Joseph Hatcher (9); Drums; Haverford HS
Mateo Jimenez (8); Piano; GAMP
Matthew Jones (8); Trumpet; Ridley MS
Samuel Jones (8); Trombone; Ridley MS
Zachary King (8); Trombone; Haddon Twp. Jr. High
Michael J. Matthews (8); Trombone; Middle Years Alternative(Philadelphia)
Corey McClinton (9); Trumpet; Carl Sandburg MS (Levittown, PA)
Patrick McIsaac (9); Trombone; Carl Sandburg MS
Timothy Merola (7) Trombone; Ridley MS
Michael Niwinski (7); Baritone Saxophone; Neshaminy MS
Louis Palena (9); Tenor Saxophone; Washington Twp. HS (Sewell, NJ)
Victor Poiesz (9); Baritone Saxophone; Ridley HS
Teron Richardson (9); Alto Saxophone; Central HS (Phila.)
Ian Rode (8); Trumpet; Downingtown MS
Nicole Romano (8); Trumpet; Ancillae Assumpta Academy
Adam Rubinsohn (8); Baritone Saxophone; Newtown MS
Anthony Scardino (9); Trombone; Winslow Twp. HS
Nicholas Scelzi (8); Piano; Ancillae Assumpta Academy
Tal Shtuhl (9); Tenor Saxophone; Upper Merion HS
Paul Sipio (9); Bass; Bishop Eustace Prep (Mt. Laurel, NJ)
Eric Tait (9); Trumpet; Westtown School (West Chester, PA)
Julian Tucker (8); Trumpet; Ancillae Assumpta Academy
Christopher Willie (9); Trumpet; Roxborough HS
Austin Woodlin (9); Percussion; Carver HS (Phila.)
Miles Ziskind (8); Drums; GAMP
Students rehearse every Saturday morning in the Kimmel Center’s Innovation Studio. The Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble will make its season debut Friday, December 19 at 6pm in the Kimmel Center’s Commonwealth Plaza.
The Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble is generously supported by the Barra Foundation.
Other Kimmel Center, Inc. educational initiatives include performing arts classes for middle and high school students in the Merck Arts Education Center; a distance learning pilot program; the Teen Summer Arts Camp (auditions will be held in the spring); and a subsidized ticket program offering $10 tickets to schools, churches, social service groups and community organizations for performances at the Kimmel Center and Academy of Music (for more information call 215-790-5896). Visiting artists who perform as part of the Kimmel Center Presents concert series also offer workshops and master classes for students and adults free of charge.
Education Programs at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts are generously supported by Merck & Co., Inc. and the Sidney Kimmel Foundation. Kimmel Center, Inc.’s subsidized ticket program is funded in part by a grant from the FleetBoston Financial Foundation.
Kimmel Center, Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit organization, owns, manages, supports and maintains The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which includes Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, Innovation Studio and the Merck Arts Education Center. Kimmel Center, Inc. also manages the Academy of Music, owned by the Philadelphia Orchestra Association. The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and the Academy of Music serve as home to eight Resident Company performing arts organizations, including The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, American Theater Arts for Youth, Philadanco, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and Peter Nero and the Philly Pops®. Kimmel Center, Inc.’s mission also includes arts in education, community outreach and a rich diversity of programming through its Kimmel Center Presents and Citizens Bank Broadway at the Academy series of performances.
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