Ballard High School Jazz Showcase featuring special guest trombonist Dr. Javier Nero

Dimitriou's Jazz Alley welcomes the Ballard High School Jazz Band joined by Dr. Javier Nero, trombonist in Pershing’s Own Army Band and professor at Peabody Conservatory. Doors open at 6pm, show starts at 7pm.
artist info
The Ballard High School jazz program is one of the premier high school jazz programs in the Pacific Northwest. They have been featured at the Essentially Ellington competition, Hot Java Cool Jazz, the Monterrey Jazz festival, Reno Jazz Festival, Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, and the many others. Ballard High School performs regularly around the Pacific Northwest and is composed of highly dedicated musicians from Ballard High School.

The Ballard High School Jazz program consists of almost 70 students within the Ballard High School community and represents some of the most talented musicians at Ballard High School. Ensembles include Jazz Band 1, Jazz Band 2, Jazz Band 3, Ballard Brass 1, Ballard Brass 2, Jazz combo, and Vocal Jazz. Students in these groups spend countless hours in and out of class preparing highly difficult repertoire and learning how to improvise within the jazz idiom. Ballard High School jazz bands and choirs have been recognized at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, Groove for Thought Jazz Forum, DeMeiro Jazz Festival, Essentially Ellington Competition, Monterrey Jazz Festival, Hot Java Cool Jazz and many more.

Courtney Rowley, Director of Vocal Jazz, is in her 19th year as Director of Choirs at Ballard High School, where she directs the Concert Choir, Advanced Chorale, Treble Choir, Vocal Jazz, Chamber Choir, and Tenor Bass Ensemble, vocal directs the annual musical theatre production, and teaches AP Music Theory. Originally from Michigan, she earned a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and Choral Music Education from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University. Under her direction, the Ballard choirs have grown from 36 students to over 150 students and have consistently received Superior ratings at both regional and national choral festivals. The BHS Concert Choir was invited to perform at Lincoln Center in 2010 and at Carnegie Hall in 2016 and 2023, as part of the Choirs of America Nationals for Top Choirs Festival. They were also honored to perform by invitation for the NW American Choral Directors Association Conference in 2014. In addition, the BHS Chamber Choir won 2nd place in 2024, the BHS Tenor Bass Ensemble won 2nd place in 2019, and the Tenor Bass Quartet won 1st place in 2013 at the WMEA State Solo and Ensemble Contest. Ms. Rowley was honored by the 5th Avenue 2012 Musical Theatre Awards with nominations for Best Musical Direction and Best Chorus in the state of Washington, and is a past recipient of the Ballard High School Outstanding Educator Award (2010), the Washington State ACDA Outstanding Emerging Choral Director Award (2014), and the Elliott Bay Music Educators Association Outstanding Music Educator of the Year (2017).