Jazz at MSU celebrates significant achievements at national competition

The Michigan State University Jazz Studies program placed second in the nation in the 2026 National Collegiate Jazz Championship with more than 20 MSU musicians earning individual honors.

The two-day invitational competition, held throughout Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City on Jan. 17 and 18, aims to celebrate the excellence and achievements of the next generation of jazz musicians.

This was MSU’s fourth time competing in the championship. MSU Jazz Studies has placed in the top three each time with one first-place finish in 2022. Second place in 2026 earned a $7,500 award for the program. Temple University, led by Terell Stafford, and Huston-Tillotson University, led by Jeremy George, placed first and third, respectively.

Director of Jazz Studies at MSU and University Distinguished Professor of Jazz Bass Rodney Whitaker had students in Jazz Orchestra 1 (the Bebop Spartans) well-prepared, and Associate Director of Jazz Studies and Associate Professor of Jazz Guitar Randy Napoleon guided MSU Jazz Nonet 1 for the combo portion of the competition. Associate Professor of Vocal Jazz Carmen Bradford traveled to New York, as well, given that it was the first time MSU performed in the competition with a vocalist.

MSU jazz students brought high energy and anticipation from the beginning of their trip to New York. The ensembles played extremely well, and the enthusiasm shown by musicians from other schools during MSU performances served as great evidence of the skill Spartan jazz bands displayed. In fact, the young musicians from MSU were fighting so hard for first place that the second-place finish left a few of them disappointed. Jazz at Lincoln Center Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis tried to put those thoughts to rest as he spoke at the awards ceremony to close the weekend.

“It doesn’t really matter where you place,” Marsalis said to the students, professors and jazz supporters in attendance and watching online. “Can anyone tell me who won the Loyola Jazz Festival of 1978? At one point, it was the most important thing to me and my brother. Now, we don’t think about that. We think about the growth that comes from these experiences, the people we meet and some friendships that have lasted 50 years.”

What showed more than anything during this weekend of events was the camaraderie among the MSU musicians and the musicians from all of the other programs. Celebrations were loud any time an individual award was announced for a Spartan, and it was more than just the MSU section of students, donors and alumni cheering.

The following MSU Jazz Studies students were honored with awards:

• Outstanding Rhythm Section (Alonso Umana Chan, Sarah Whitaker, Sam Melkonian, Joseph Fielder, Laura-Simone Martin, Johnathan Hilliard, Langston Kitchen, Alex Hoberty, Zach Sommerfield, Preston Fox and Max Gage)
• Outstanding Trombone Section (Miles Cole, Aidan Clark, Lexi Hamner, Charles Scanlan, and Arthur Motl)
• Outstanding Trumpet Section (Eli Rachlin, Jauron Perry, Joel Reaves, Surafael Tamre, and Carter Haugen)
• Aidan Clark, Outstanding Trombone
• Miles Cole, Outstanding Trombone
• Lexi Hamner, Outstanding Trombone
• Charles Scanlan, Honorable Mention Trombone
• Eli Rachlin, Outstanding Trumpet
• Surafael Tamre, Honorable Mention Trumpet
• Thomas Noble, Outstanding Alto Saxophone
• Mason Reinhardt, Outstanding Alto Saxophone
• Paloma Cobbs-Silva, Honorable Mention Clarinet
• Alvin Paige, Honorable Mention Baritone Saxophone
• Jonathan Hilliard, Outstanding Bass
• Kevin Eisenberg, Outstanding Piano
• Daniel Li, Outstanding Guitar
• Amanda Jane Ross, Honorable Mention Vocals

“Let’s hear it for the musicians, the Bebop Spartans. They worked hard,” Whitaker said when he accepted the second-place prize during the awards ceremony. “Jazz is the most wonderful thing in the universe, so keep swinging.”

The weekend in New York was made possible in part by donors who have contributed to the College of Music Ensemble Travel Fund. The fund helps ensembles represent MSU on a global stage, and in this case, it led to a stunning display of talent, passion, and dedication to jazz music from our students.

Judging by the level of hard work and excellence from Spartans and bands from around the country, the future of jazz is in good hands.

This story originally appeared on the College of Music website.