During their concert season, the High School All Stars perform throughout the Bay Area, including such locales as the Computer History Museum, Santa Cruz Jazz Festival, San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose’s San Pedro Square Market, San Jose State University Jazz Festival, San Jose Jazz Winter Fest and Summer Fest, and more. Auditions take place in November each year. The All Stars have received unanimous “command” performance ratings in both big band and combo formats at the Santa Cruz Jazz Festival.
SJZ’s High School All Stars program is designed to help students achieve a mastery of improvisation techniques while advancing their knowledge of music theory, arranging, composition, performance, and jazz history. Participation includes weekly rehearsals at San Jose State University and performances in professional venues.
The High School All Stars are led by Musical Director Oscar Pangilinan, a saxophonist, educator, and community organizer. Pangilinan has served as a faculty member at SJZ’s Summer Jazz Camp since 2009. Alongside fellow Summer Jazz Camp faculty members, he performs as part of the SJZ Collective. The group has toured throughout Taiwan and Japan.
