Congratulations Young Lions Jazz Conservatory Artistic Director Gilbert Castellanos on your nomination for “Artist of the Year” from the San Diego Music Awards!

Two Young Lions Jazz Conservatory students received Young Arts awards. Pianist Jason Picker received “Jazz Composition Merit Award,” this is a big honor!  Serena Geroe (guitar) and Jason Picker were both chosen as GRAMMYCamp finalists. Congratulations, students!

We are pleased to have our 16-year-old vocalist Zion Dyson featured this month in The San Diego Troubadour magazine. Zion’s passion for jazz certainly stands out in this feature. She discusses her start on the stage at The San Diego Junior Theater, her jazz education with Gilbert and Lorraine Castellanos, her involvement with the Young Lions, and her dream of studying jazz at USC’s Thornton School of Music. Congratulations, Zion, and thanks for putting the spotlight on San Diego’s youth jazz scene.

You’re invited to The Young Lions Jazz Conservatory Open House. We welcome you to get a rare sneak peek into a Young Lions Jazz Conservatory class! Read more to see our class schedule.

Here is a terrific, in-depth piece about our Founder and Artistic Director Gilbert Castellanos written by Robert Bush. Bush captures what inspires us most about Gilbert: his talent, his work ethic, and his dedication to the next generation of jazz.

Students from The Young Lions Jazz Conservatory will be performing at the “This is Jazz!” Series curated by KSDS’s Claudia Russell this Saturday. Come on out to Carlsbad’s  Dove Library Complex for this free show followed by a lively discussion between the artists and the audience. When: Saturday September 30, 4–5:30 p.m. Free tickets distributed […]