Four Douglas Anderson Students Selected for Prestigious National Band / Orchestra Programs

Don Zentz, the Director of Jazz Studies and Ted Shistle, Band Director, at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, are proud to announce that their students have been selected for inclusion in three of the most distinctive high school honor jazz bands and orchestras in the nation: The National Youth Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra Jazz Band and Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Last month, guitarist Maurice Chakour (c/o ’23) was notified of his acceptance to the National Youth Orchestra Jazz Band after a highly competitive audition process. Maurice will spend three weeks this summer touring with the NYO Jazz Band.  His experience will culminate with a performance in historic Carnegie Hall.  

This past week, trumpeter Giovanni Martinez (c/o ’23) and drummer Beckett Miles (c/o ’23) were notified of their selection to the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.  The Next Generation Jazz Orchestra was founded in 1971 and has been an education arm of the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival.  Selection through audition submissions is extremely competitive.  The names of alumni from the NGJO now reads like a “who’s who” in jazz.  Gio and Beckett will spend a week in California rehearsing and touring with the NGJO.  Their final concert will be on the main stage of the Monterey Jazz Festival in September.

Band student TJ Shistle, trombone, (c/o ’23) has been named to the 2022 National Youth Orchestra 2 (NYO2) Musician Roster.  Outstanding young American instrumentalists form NYO2, a free orchestra program that comes together alongside the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA) and NYO Jazz each summer for intensive training and performance opportunities. Participating musicians have the opportunity to work closely with top players from American orchestras and conservatories during a residency at Purchase College, State University of New York.  Students are selected to the NYO2 roster from a highly competitive audition process.  In addition to the residency at Purchase, NY, students will travel down to Miami to work alongside the New World Symphony Orchestra in Miami.  The NYO2 will give a culminating performance on August 1, 2022 at 8pm in Carnegie Hall under the direction of conductor Mei-Ann Chen featuring piano soloist Aaron Diehl. Seth Corlew from Christ's Church Academy in Mandarin has also been named to the French Horn section of the 2022 NYO2.

Congratulations to these outstanding young musicians!  This is an incredible honor and achievement.  We know that you will represent your band program, Douglas Anderson, DCPS, and our community in stellar fashion on the national stage.  We are very proud of you!