When trumpet player Gilbert Castellanos was only 15, he made his Monterey Jazz Festival debut during its international competition for young musicians and was rewarded by playing on stage with jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie.
“That was a game-changer and a life-changer for me,” says Castellanos, now 47. “He was the main reason I wanted to pursue music as a career.”
Castellanos went on to win outstanding high school trumpet soloist twice at the same annual competition.
This month, Castellanos again was a big winner at the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Next Generation awards showdown.