Photo by Craig Roberts

North Penn High School Navy Jazz Band, under the direction of David DiValentino, has been named the winner of the 2016 SteelStacks High School Band Jazz Showcase presented by King, Spry, Herman, Freund & Faul, LLC. The school took top honors during the finals of the fifth-annual event March 20 at the ArtsQuest Center, earning the opportunity to open for chart-topping saxophonist Jessy J May 12 during the RiverJazz festival at SteelStacks.

In addition to performing with Jessy J, North Penn will take part in a masterclass session with the artist earlier that day. Quakertown Community High School, under the direction of Frank Parker, was named the showcase runner-up, and Easton Area High School, under the direction of Carole Lutte, took home third place.

The SteelStacks High School Jazz Band Showcase featured 16 high school jazz bands from Pennsylvania and New Jersey performing during three preliminary rounds at SteelStacks in February. The top six bands then advanced to the finals March 20.  In addition to the band honors, the competition’s judges also recognized several schools and individuals with ‘best soloist’ and ‘best section’ awards. The complete list of winners is as follows:

BEST SOLOS:
Best Jazz Saxophone/Woodwind Soloist – Noah Calvaresi, North Penn High School
Best Jazz Trumpet Soloist – Josh Weckerly, North Penn High School
Best Jazz Trombone Soloist – Donovan Austin, Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts
Best Jazz Rhythm Soloist – Kellen Pisani, Phillipsburg High School
Best Jazz Vocalist Soloist – Christina Pepingco, Phillipsburg High School
Best Overall Jazz Soloist – Nabil Muquit, North Penn High School

BEST SECTIONS:
Best Reed Section – Quakertown Community High School
Best Trumpet Section – Easton Area High School
Best Trombone Section – North Penn High School
Best Rhythm Section – Quakertown Community High School

“KingSpry has been a proud sponsor of the jazz showcase since its very first year,” says John Freund, KingSpry Education Law Practice Chair. “We’re amazed at how the talent level and musicianship of these students continues to grow each year, and we’re thrilled that the winners, North Penn, have be chosen to participate at Jazz Fest this month. It’s an experience they will remember for the rest of their lives!”

The SteelStacks High School Jazz Band Showcase was presented by King, Spry, Herman, Freund & Faul, LLC, in association with 69-WFMZ-TV, Green Leaf Productions and the Moravian College Music Department. A one-hour DVD on the showcase, which makes a great collectible for family and friends, is available now for only $20 at www.steelstacks.org.

For more information on the showcase, please visit www.steelstacks.org.