The largest high school jazz competition in the U.S. – Berklee College of Music’s 46th High School Jazz Festival – will host more than 200 bands and vocal ensembles featuring 3,000 students from 13 states competing for $175,000 in scholarships to Berklee’s Five-Week Summer Performance Program. Portsmouth Abbey School and Portsmouth HS from Portsmouth is sending their best and brightest musicians to the competition. Last year, Portsmouth Abbey School's Vocal Jazz Ensemble took home the award for 3rd place in their division. Portmouth Abbey students Sophia Diodati and Rozie Randolph also won awards for their outstanding musicianship. Participants will also enjoy clinics and concerts by Snarky Puppy, whose funk-influenced r&b chops earned them the 2014 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance.
In addition to witnessing performances by the top high school jazz bands in the country, audiences will have the chance to experience top Berklee students performing in a salsa ensemble, a Tower of Power ensemble, a P-Funk ensemble, and other ensembles in addition to a performance by the college’s a cappella group, Pitch Slapped. Students will also be honored for outstanding achievements in jazz composition.