The Lexington High School Jazz Ensemble recently qualified for the 18th annual Charles Mingus Festival, which will take place in New York from Feb. 13-15, 2026.
Charles Mingus was a renowned bassist and composer who played a significant role in the history of jazz. Held in his honor, the Charles Mingus Festival is a prestigious national competition that brings together top high school ensembles from across the country to perform Mingus’ music.
“We’ve won the Mingus Festival twice: once under me and once under the previous conductor. It’s a really fun experience; you meet musicians from all over the country, from Texas to Silicon Valley, all working with a shared purpose and love for jazz,” Patrick Donaher, the director of the LHS Jazz Ensemble, said.
The Mingus Festival’s high school competition is very competitive, with top ensembles from across the U.S. and even internationally submitting audition recordings.
“This year, actually, I think the festival got their maximum level of submissions ever. So it was definitely very competitive, and LHS was lucky enough to qualify,” Vyom Srivastava, the ensemble pianist, noted.
Srivastava was surprised when he heard that the ensemble qualified.
“Mr. Donaher posted in the morning and at first, I was a little bit shocked . . . I was like, ‘There has to be some kind of mistake.’ But then I realized that everybody actually worked really hard. I’m so proud that people really focused during the recording sessions. They really brought their best out,” Srivastava said.
The Jazz Ensemble has faced challenges in recent years, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“After COVID, things got harder. For the past few years, we only played a few melodies, and not very often. So this year’s challenge is to really bring the music to life—to make people feel the song,” Aditya Chiduruppa, a tenor saxophonist in the ensemble, explained.
Despite the challenges, the ensemble’s skill and close-knit bond were key to its success.
“We have a lot of younger members, but we’ve all been together for a while and know each other really well. We’re all friends, which makes the music experience way better. We can also be more creative—we talk about how we want to express the pieces and figure things out together in rehearsal,” Chiduruppa said.
The ensemble looks forward to attending the Charles Mingus Festival, where members will have the opportunity to meet professionals, perform, and travel together as an ensemble.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting top professionals in the field who are also so passionate about the music, and learning a lot. And of course, going to New York with your friends is never a bad thing,” Srivastava said.
Looking ahead, the Jazz Ensemble hopes that their achievements will encourage more musicians to join the program.
“I hope it inspires more students—especially our top musicians—to see Jazz Ensemble as an attractive, rewarding program. The program thrives when the best players in the school are excited to join. It’s a big commitment, but opportunities like these make it worthwhile,” Donaher said.
