Breadcrumb
Pacific Conservatory Scores Double Win in National Competitions
The Pacific Wind Bands
The Ď㽶´«Ă˝ Conservatory of Music is receiving national honors this year, with both its wind bands and one of its jazz students earning prominent awards recognizing performance excellence, leadership and social justice in the arts.
The Pacific Wind Bands, led by Director of Bands Vu Nguyen, were named the winner of . The award honors the ensemble’s recording of From A Deep Blue Sky, an album featuring works by contemporary composers.
The conservatory also celebrated student Aimee MacDonald ’26, who was selected as one of five musicians nationwide for the , an initiative supporting the advancement of women and nonbinary jazz artists. The cohort will receive mentorship from leading jazz educators and perform at the organization’s annual JEN Conference.
Nguyen said the national recognition reflects the musicians’ dedication and the values the Conservatory works to foster.
“I’m proud of our students for being recognized as this year’s winner of The American Prize,” Nguyen said. “They worked hard to prepare the music we submitted for From A Deep Blue Sky. The music we make with the Pacific Wind Bands values diverse voices and meaningful stories, and it’s affirming to see that resonate outside of our immediate community.”
The ensemble also earned third place for for its performance of Requiem for the Unarmed by composer Kevin Day. Nguyen said the honor underscores the social and cultural importance of performing works that address issues of justice and community.
Students who participated in the recording process gained first-hand experience working with living composers and preparing professional-level sessions—an opportunity Nguyen believes will serve them long after graduation.
“Projects like this take time, hard work and commitment,” Nguyen said. “Recognition like this shows our students how the impact of their work can extend beyond Pacific. I hope it reaffirms their efforts and values as they enter careers in teaching, performing and leadership.”
Nguyen added that the accomplishments directly reflect the Conservatory’s mission to offer a student-centered music education rooted in diversity, cultural understanding and artistic innovation.
“Our work aligns with the Conservatory’s vision to “strive to be the finest student-centered music school possible, one that provides students with an increasingly diverse range of cultural perspectives…considers and reconsiders significant histories, and presents works of and about music through live events and emerging media,” Nguyen said. “It also aligns with Pacific’s values of academic excellence, student-centered experiential learning, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. These awards are a recognition of both performance excellence and social justice impact."
Aimee MacDonald ’26
For MacDonald, the Sisters in Jazz distinction marks the culmination of years of preparation and encouragement from her professors.
“It means a lot to me,” she said. “I’ve looked up to the musicians selected in past years, and it feels incredible to follow in their footsteps. I’ve been working toward this since my freshman year.”
MacDonald said the conservatory’s faculty and ensembles played a significant role in preparing her for the national audition process, from forwarding application notices to helping her record high-quality audition tapes.
“Having access to high-caliber musicians and rehearsing with them daily through the Jazz Ambassadors made everything possible,” she said. “Listening to my old recordings and comparing them to now, I can hear how much I’ve grown because of my coursework and ensemble experiences.”
The demanding pace of the Jazz Ambassadors program, she added, gave her realistic preparation for the travel, rehearsals and fast-moving environment she will encounter at the JEN Conference.
“It can be hectic,” she said, “but it’s nothing I can’t handle—because that’s what we do all the time.”
