Past Scholarship Recipients
Juried Scholarship Competition
2023
Applicants must be enrolled in a New Jersey college undergraduate music program, or be a New Jersey resident enrolled in an out of state college undergraduate music program.
The Competition is judged by professional musicians, educators, and industry leaders, and the 2023 prestigious panel of judges was comprised of:
Don Braden – world class tenor saxophonist, flutist, composer and educator
Ted Chubb – Vice President, Jazz Education + Partnerships, Associate Producer, Jazz House Kids, trumpeter, composer, and educator
Jason Olaine – Vice President of Programming, Jazz at Lincoln Center
Mariel Bildsten – Trombonist, bandleader, side-woman, and educator
The competition was generously supported by Nan Hughes Poole.
Performance
$1000 – Richard LaRouech, trombone, William Paterson University, Jazz Studies Program
“As a performer, Richard is among the strongest players we have had in our jazz program in a long time, certainly one of the strongest trombonists. He has a pro-level command of the jazz language, and he has a very strong technical foundation on his instrument, a strong and projecting sound. He is already gaining recognition in the New York jazz community and is starting to work, as his reputation grows.”
– Dr. David Dempsy, Coordinator of Jazz Studies, William Paterson University
$500 – Joseph Foglia, saxophone, William Paterson University, Jazz Studies Program
“Joseph is an inspired learner and is intensely involved in continuing to grow academically as well as musically. He has a good foundation on his instrument, and he has a very strong and rapidly expanding jazz vocabulary. He has gotten deeply involved as a writer/ arranger, and he has already brought very successful arrangements into our Jazz Orchestra rehearsals.”
– Dr. David Dempsy, Coordinator of Jazz Studies, William Paterson University
Composition
$1000 – Banks Sapnar, trumpet, Boyer College of Music and Dance, Jazz Studies, Temple University
“His jazz playing and his arranging/ composing [are} extremely accomplished in both areas for a young man of his age. He has a big, beautiful trumpet sound (for which I take no credit) and a substantial repertoire of songs, well balanced between standards and jazz composers from the swing era through more modern styles. I find his playing to be soulful and exciting and deeply informed by jazz tradition.”
– Bruce Barth, Faculty, Boyer College of Music and Dance, Jazz Studies Program, Temple University
$500 – Grace Fox, trumpet, Manhattan School of Music, Jazz Arts Program
“Though we were restricted by the limitations of Zoom lessons, I was tremendously impressed by Grace, both as a musician and student. She was uniquely accomplished as an instrumentalist, particularly within the specialized skill of playing lead trumpet. But it was her drive to improve in other areas that struck me the most.”
– Tatum Greenblatt, Faculty, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Jazz Studies Program, Rutgers University
Click here to learn more about these fine up and coming musicians, in the June 2023 issue of Jersey Jazz.
2022
The New Jersey Jazz Society launched. Its NEW Juried Scholarship Competition, open to students enrolled in a New Jersey college undergraduate music program. The competition awarded two $1000 prizes and two $500 prizes in two categories: Performance & Original Composition.
Along with the cash award, winners receive guidance, mentorship and the opportunity to perform with an industry professional, and coverage in our award winning digital magazine Jersey Jazz.
The Competition is judged by professional musicians, educators, and industry leaders, and the 2022 prestigious panel of judges was comprised of:
Don Braden – world class tenor saxophonist, flutist, composer and educator
Ted Chubb – Vice President, Jazz Education + Partnerships, Associate Producer, Jazz House Kids, trumpeter, composer, and educator
Jason Olaine – Vice President of Programming, Jazz at Lincoln Center
Mariel Bildsten – Trombonist, bandleader, side-woman, and educator
The inaugural competition was generously supported by Nan Hughes Poole and an anonymous jazz advocate.
Performance
$1000 – Liam Sutcliffe, trumpet, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University
“He was a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Orchestra, which I co-led at the time. The trumpet section that year was a veritable ‘Murderer’s Row’ – one of the best I’ve ever seen at the high school level. Liam was our secret weapon of sorts, quiet and unassuming, but he would unleash a torrent of lyrical bebop over any set of changes. His dedication and drive were immediately clear, as was his desire to focus on the minutiae of the instrument.”
– Tatum Greenblatt, Faculty, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Jazz Studies Program, Rutgers University
$500 – Sam AuBuchon, bass, William Paterson University, Jazz Studies Program
“AuBuchon’s bass playing is deeply rooted in the jazz tradition, and he has benefited a great deal from studying with our bass faculty and with Bill Charlap (Director of Jazz Studies). He is becoming one of our leaders in the program.”
Dr. David Demsey, Coordinator of Jazz Studies, William Paterson University
Original Composition
$1000 – Jimmy Waltman, vocalist, Princeton University, Jazz Studies Program
“He impressed me immediately with his passion for jazz songcraft, informed by his own experience as a singer. He dove into the course materials with gusto, and it was a pleasure to see him develop his understanding of harmony and orchestration. This chart impressed me with the maturity of the melody and harmonic progression and its well formed architecture. It features soaring melodic writing, it is brimming with energy and ideas.”
– Darcy James Argue, Faculty, Jazz Studies, Princeton University
$500 – Derick Freitas Campos, guitar, John J. Cali School of Music, Jazz Studies, Montclair State University
“Derick is one of the best students I’ve worked with. He takes all the things he has learned in our lessons and is able to organically add them into his playing. He is always working on new songs and ideas.”
– Dave Stryker, Faculty, Cali School of Music, Montclair State University
Click here to learn more about these fine up and coming musicians, in the June 2022 issue of Jersey Jazz.
2021
Due to the ongoing pandemic challenges faced by NJJS, scholarships were not awarded in 2021.
2020
Due to Covid-19 and the closures of New Jersey colleges, scholarships were not awarded in 2020.
2019
2018
Jianing Yang, guitar, William Paterson University – Jack Stine Scholarship, Carlos Juncal, trumpet & Salvatore Alaimo, saxophone, Montclair State University – New Jersey Jazz Society Board of Directors Scholarship, Joseph McGuth, drums & Matthew Kiefer, bass, Rowan University – Bill Waters Scholarship, Chris Paredes, drums, New Jersey City State University – Don Robertson Scholarship, Pablo Hernandez, saxophone, Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University – Pee Wee Russell Scholarship.
2017
For the first time, the scholarship program included students from the Montclair State University Jazz Studies Program.
Justin Jones, alto saxophone, William Paterson University – Jack Stine Scholarship, Patrick Higgins, baritone saxophone, Rowan University – Bill Walters Scholarship, Ian Heisler, bass & Michael Yaw, drums, New Jersey City University – Don Robertson Scholarship, Galo Inga, piano, Montclair State University – NJ Jazz Society Board of Directors Scholarship, Dhalil Sadiq, trumpet, Montclair State University – NJ Jazz Society Board of Directors Scholarship, Pablo Hernandez, saxophone, Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University – Pee Wee Russell Scholarship.
2016
Vincent Dupont, bass, William Paterson University – Jack Stine Scholarship, Keith Bianchini, trombone, Rowan University – Bill Walters Scholarship, Diego Ferreira, saxophone & Cristiano Ludwig, saxophone, New Jersey City State University – Don Robertson Scholarship, Devenny Bennett, trumpet, Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University – Pee Wee Russell Scholarship.
2015
Eric Zolan, guitar, William Paterson University – Jack Stine Scholarship, Adam Malarich, trumpet, Rowan University – Bill Walters Scholarship, Anthony Bianco, bass, New Jersey City University – Don Robertson Scholarship, Devenny Bennett, trumpet, Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University – Pee Wee Russell Scholarship.