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The East Bay Jazz High School All-Stars, a music academy for high school jazz musicians, will be holding auditions this week in Pleasanton for its 2025 season.
High school musicians across the East Bay will be able to showcase their talent Thursday and Friday at Amador Valley High School for a chance at a spot in the music academy’s two ensembles — big band and combo.
“This is our 9th season of East Bay Jazz and I’m especially excited for this year in particular,” academy director Spencer Sussman said in a Jan. 15 press release. “We’re showcasing the most guest artists we’ve ever had in a single season, including Grammy Award-winning musicians with hundreds of studio credits between them. This will be a very special 2025 season and I encourage all high school musicians to audition!”
According to the press release, the music academy puts on these yearly performances between January and February where young musicians can “develop their skills within the jazz idiom, gain real-world performance experience, and share a love of music with the East Bay community and beyond.”
“Recent graduates have continued to perform music in their local communities and at esteemed music conservatories such as Berklee College of Music, California Jazz Conservatory, Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, New York University, Oberlin College, SF Conservatory of Music, UCLA and others,” according to the press release.
Under the leadership of Sussman, a Pleasanton native who founded the academy in 2016, the group of more than 20 high school musicians throughout the East Bay will rehearse on a weekly basis before performing, which will give them the opportunity to experience life as a jazz musician outside of a school setting.
According to the press release, East Bay Jazz’s educational programs are fully supported by Livermore Valley Arts, which also assists in identifying performance opportunities and providing financial support through its LVA Education Fund.
“Continuing to offer students in our community the opportunity to experience and grow within the arts is a crucial part of what LVA is at its core,” Anne Giancola, LVA visual arts and education manager, said in the statement
In order to join the academy, musicians will have to undergo a competitive audition process which will take place from 4:30-9 p.m. on Jan. 23 and 24 in Amador’s choir room.
For more information and to sign up for an audition slot, visit www.livermorearts.org.
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