Music Students Win 22 Awards & Five Scholarships At Surrey Schools International Jazz Festival

Surrey and White Rock students from seven secondary schools across the district were winners at this year’s Surrey Schools International Jazz Festival, taking home 22 awards and five scholarships at one of Canada’s largest showcases of secondary jazz.

Like last year, Semiahmoo Secondary once again took the lion’s share of the accolades, receiving 13 awards, including Outstanding Performance as a Junior Jazz Band, Senior Jazz Band and Junior Jazz Combo. Semiahmoo students also received individual accolades in the junior and senior categories for Saxophone, Lead Trumpet, Rhythm Section and Drums, as well as Junior Bass and Senior Trumpet.

École Salish Secondary was also recognized for their combo performance, winning Outstanding Performance as a Senior Jazz Combo, along with awards for Junior Trumpet Player Junior/Senior Bass Player.

North Surrey Secondary’s Christopher Kim received two individual awards: Outstanding Performance on Piano and as a Musician in the junior category.

Elgin Park Secondary took awards for Junior Guitar and Senior Auxiliary Percussion, while Fleetwood Park Secondary and Guildford Park Secondary were recognized for Saxophone and Trombone, respectively, in the junior/senior category.

Semiahmoo Grade 12 student Matea Pfortmueller, who received Outstanding Performance as a Lead Trumpet Player, also received the $1,000 William & Alice Singular Memorial Scholarship. Classmate Liz Kim received a $590 full tuition scholarship from the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music for the VSO’s summer jazz workshops.

Similarly, École Salish student Eugene Lee, who received Outstanding Performance as a Trumpet Player, received a $500 award in memory of Surrey resident Kurt Willard Turner toward music enrichment.

Elgin Park student William Ji received a $500 award from the Peninsula Arts Foundation in memory of South Surrey band teacher Lorna Graham.

Queen Elizabeth Secondary student Rigby Doste received a $750 entrance scholarship from Vancouver Community College for the BCC Music Diploma program.

Click HERE for a full list of award winners and scholarship recipients.

Congratulations to all of our Surrey Schools International Jazz Festival winners!