Wed, Jun 10, 7:00 PM
Dimitriou's Jazz Alley welcomes the Ballard High School Jazz Band joined by Dr. Javier Nero, trombonist in Pershing’s Own Army Band and professor at Peabody Conservatory. Doors open at 6pm, show starts at 7pm. artist info The Ballard High School jazz program is one of the premier high school jazz programs in the Pacific Northwest. They have been featured at the Essentially Ellington competition, Hot Java Cool Jazz, the Monterrey Jazz festival, Reno Jazz Festival, Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, and the many others. Ballard High School performs regularly around the Pacific Northwest and is composed of highly dedicated musicians from Ballard High School. The Ballard High School Jazz program consists of almost 70 students within the Ballard High School community and represents some of the most talented musicians at Ballard High School. Ensembles include Jazz Band 1, Jazz Band 2, Jazz Band 3, Ballard Brass 1, Ballard Brass 2, Jazz combo, and Vocal Jazz. Students in these groups spend countless hours in and out of class preparing highly difficult repertoire and learning how to improvise within the jazz idiom. Ballard High School jazz bands and choirs have been recognized at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, Groove for Thought Jazz Forum, DeMeiro Jazz Festival, Essentially Ellington Competition, Monterrey Jazz Festival, Hot Java Cool Jazz and many more. Courtney Rowley, Director of Vocal Jazz, is in her 19th year as Director of Choirs at Ballard High School, where she directs the Concert Choir, Advanced Chorale, Treble Choir, Vocal Jazz, Chamber Choir, and Tenor Bass Ensemble, vocal directs the annual musical theatre production, and teaches AP Music Theory. Originally from Michigan, she earned a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and Choral Music Education from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University. Under her direction, the Ballard choirs have grown from 36 students to over 150 students and have consistently received Superior ratings at both regional and national choral festivals. The BHS Concert Choir was invited to perform at Lincoln Center in 2010 and at Carnegie Hall in 2016 and 2023, as part of the Choirs of America Nationals for Top Choirs Festival. They were also honored to perform by invitation for the NW American Choral Directors Association Conference in 2014. In addition, the BHS Chamber Choir won 2nd place in 2024, the BHS Tenor Bass Ensemble won 2nd place in 2019, and the Tenor Bass Quartet won 1st place in 2013 at the WMEA State Solo and Ensemble Contest. Ms. Rowley was honored by the 5th Avenue 2012 Musical Theatre Awards with nominations for Best Musical Direction and Best Chorus in the state of Washington, and is a past recipient of the Ballard High School Outstanding Educator Award (2010), the Washington State ACDA Outstanding Emerging Choral Director Award (2014), and the Elliott Bay Music Educators Association Outstanding Music Educator of the Year (2017). Jay Gillespie has been Director of Bands since 2020 at Ballard High School, where he leads three concert bands, a jazz ensemble, a percussion ensemble, and a New Orleans style brass band he developed, the first of its kind in Seattle high schools. Originally from Eagle River, Alaska, he graduated high school from Interlochen Arts Academy with honors and a fine arts award for saxophone performance. He attended the University of Michigan as a classical saxophone performance and jazz and improvisational studies major studying under Donald Sinta and Donald Walden. Upon his departure from Michigan, Mr. Gillespie spent nine years in the Navy Band playing for audiences exceeding 1.5 million as a clarinet and saxophone instrumentalist. Mr. Gillespie performed in, arranged for, and led multiple ensembles in the Navy Band including jazz combos, jazz ensembles, rock bands, concert bands, marching bands and brass bands. After the Navy, Mr. Gillespie attended the University of Washington in Seattle where he earned his degree in music education magna cum laude. Mr. Gillespie has been honored with the Ballard PTSA Outstanding Educator Award, and his accomplishments at Ballard have been highlighted in feature reports from The Seattle Times and The University of Washington. Last year Mr. Gillespie was recognized as a district wide All-Star educator receiving nominations from over 20 students. He has led Ballard’s bands in parades, competitions and other performances at Disneyland, at the Reno Jazz Festival, and across the Northwest. Under Mr. Gillespie’s direction Ballard’s bands, ensembles and soloists have been recognized with awards and top ratings from the Elliott Bay Music Educators Association, the Bainbridge High School Puget Sound Jazz Festival, the Auburn Veterans’ Day Parade, the Ballard Syttende Mai Parade, the Quincy Jones Jazz Festival and the Grand Floral Parade in Portland. Mr. Gillespie lives on the Kitsap peninsula with his wife and two children and performs professionally with multiple ensembles throughout the region.