San Jose Jazz Awards Five Local Musicians $1,000 Grants to Fuel Creative Endeavors
A boost of creative energy is hitting the Bay Area music scene thanks to San Jose Jazz's latest grant recipients. Twenty talented musicians from across the region have been awarded a collective $20,000 in grants to support the development of new work.
Among these awardees are five San Jose residents who will see their artistic visions come to life with financial backing. Drummer Sylvia Cuenca is just one such recipient, having previously received the New Works Grant in 2022. Cuenca's new music project will be part of a larger Winter Series at the SJZ Break Room, where six commissioned works by local musicians will premiere between February and March next year.
Other notable recipients include saxophonist Oscar Pangilinan, who recently served as director of San Jose Jazz's Summer Jazz Camp and High-School All Stars. The Alum Rock native has led or co-led numerous groups over the years, including The Bad Ones, which toured Asia with the SJZ Collective in 2018-19.
The award also goes to the Budhrani Brothers, a guitar-and-clarinet duo known for their technical precision and melodic warmth. Jason Lewis, a percussionist with a degree from San Jose State University, is another recipient, having toured and recorded with notable artists like Boz Scaggs and Taylor Eigsti.
Lastly, Dave Dolengewicz, an audio engineer by day and tenor saxophonist for the video game music jazz fusion band Ultra Combo, rounds out the list of San Jose musicians receiving $1,000 grants. These financial injections will undoubtedly help stimulate creative output and further establish these talented artists on the Bay Area jazz scene.
A boost of creative energy is hitting the Bay Area music scene thanks to San Jose Jazz's latest grant recipients. Twenty talented musicians from across the region have been awarded a collective $20,000 in grants to support the development of new work.
Among these awardees are five San Jose residents who will see their artistic visions come to life with financial backing. Drummer Sylvia Cuenca is just one such recipient, having previously received the New Works Grant in 2022. Cuenca's new music project will be part of a larger Winter Series at the SJZ Break Room, where six commissioned works by local musicians will premiere between February and March next year.
Other notable recipients include saxophonist Oscar Pangilinan, who recently served as director of San Jose Jazz's Summer Jazz Camp and High-School All Stars. The Alum Rock native has led or co-led numerous groups over the years, including The Bad Ones, which toured Asia with the SJZ Collective in 2018-19.
The award also goes to the Budhrani Brothers, a guitar-and-clarinet duo known for their technical precision and melodic warmth. Jason Lewis, a percussionist with a degree from San Jose State University, is another recipient, having toured and recorded with notable artists like Boz Scaggs and Taylor Eigsti.
Lastly, Dave Dolengewicz, an audio engineer by day and tenor saxophonist for the video game music jazz fusion band Ultra Combo, rounds out the list of San Jose musicians receiving $1,000 grants. These financial injections will undoubtedly help stimulate creative output and further establish these talented artists on the Bay Area jazz scene.
and i'm so stoked for these talented san jose musicians 
! like, a $1k grant can make all the difference in bringing their music to life 
, especially when it's part of a bigger initiative like the winter series at sjz break room 
. and it's awesome that they're supporting local talent, from drummer sylvia cuenca to guitar-and-clarinet duo budhrani brothers 
. this funding will definitely help them collaborate with other artists and push the bay area jazz scene forward 
!
Oh man, this is amazing news! I'm so stoked for all these talented musicians in San Jose 
. It's like, totally awesome that the San Jose Jazz Awards are giving them a boost to pursue their artistic dreams 
. Sylvia Cuenca and Oscar Pangilinan, I've seen you guys live before, and you're both incredible! 
The Budhrani Brothers' sound is so unique and captivating... I need to check out more of their music ASAP 
Dave Dolengewicz is a genius behind the scenes, no wonder he's got his own jazz fusion band Ultra Combo rocking out 
. But let's be real, have you seen the state of education funding in California lately? I mean, can't we do more to support arts programs in schools so that these kids are learning jazz theory from a young age instead of just getting a basic music ed class? It's all about making smart investments and creating opportunities for our youth. The $1,000 grants are a great start, but what if we're not providing enough resources for them to really take off? That's the real question 
.
I mean, who wouldn't want that kind of boost? Sylvia Cuenca is going to be drumming up some serious business with her new project 
, and Oscar Pangilinan's Summer Jazz Camp experience must've been a real game-changer... or should I say, a 'riff' on success 
. Seriously though, it's awesome to see local talent getting the recognition they deserve! These musicians are about to make some beautiful music together - and with that cash, they'll be able to jam all night long without worrying about the bills 
! It's about time we recognized the hard work of our community musicians, you know? San Jose Jazz is doing a great job supporting the arts in our area 
ultra combo's music fusion is always a highlight at their shows, and it'll be great to see more of that coming from san jose musicians 
and that's super cool! i mean, who doesn't love seeing more innovation and diversity in the bay area music scene? 
. By providing financial support for emerging talent, we're witnessing the very essence of community-driven artistic development in action 
. The impact will likely be felt beyond the grants themselves, catalyzing a snowball effect that fosters creative growth and diversification across genres 
. It's going to be so cool to see what Sylvia Cuenca, Oscar Pangilinan, the Budhrani Brothers, Jason Lewis, and Dave Dolengewicz come up with next! 
. i've been following syvia cuenca's drumming skills for ages and now she gets to take her project to the next level 
jason lewis's got some sick beats under his belt too 
and dave dolengewicz's got that jazz fusion vibe on lock 
I mean come on, $20k is like peanuts for someone with talent like that! 5 out of 20 people get $1k each? What's the catch? Are they gonna have to pay it back or something? 
This is so cool! I mean, 20k for five local musicians to create new music? That's like a shot in the arm for the whole Bay Area jazz scene 
. can't we just talk about something else for once? like what's going on with san jose's traffic or which new restaurant is actually worth trying? anyway, glad to see some talented people getting support, but 20k collective grant might be a bit excessive if you ask me 
just saw that 5 local musicians from San Jose are getting $1k grants to fuel their creativity! 
. And can we talk about Oscar Pangilinan's skills? 
. These grants are gonna take our Bay Area jazz scene to the NEXT LEVEL