Valencia High School’s Two N’ Four Jazz Ensemble will perform at the 62nd Annual Monterey Jazz Festival, the longest-running jazz festival in the world, on Sunday, September 29.

The festival features many of the world’s best jazz musicians performing for approximately 40,000 fans.

Led by Christine Tavares Mocha, Valencia’s Two N’ Four garnered this honor after competing in and winning first place this April at the Next Generation Monterey Jazz Festival, a competition that brings together high school and college jazz musicians from across the world.

Both Two N’ Four and Soundwaves, another jazz ensemble at VHS, were among only eight high school vocal groups out of more than a hundred who were chosen to compete in person at the Next Generation Festival, after their auditions were reviewed by a panel of nationally renowned jazz educators.

These jazz choirs are part of a comprehensive vocal music program at Valencia High School that also includes Valencia Mixed Choir, Treble Vocal Ensemble, and Concert Choir. Many graduates of the program go on to receive scholarships and study at prestigious music schools.

All choirs will be performing September 26-27 in their first concert of the year, “Broadway, Cinema, and Movie Magic,” with several soloists from the program as well as the Rio Norte Junior High School Choir.

The Valencia High School vocal music program turns away no student because of financial need and offers many fundraising opportunities for the students, including a holiday boutique on Friday, December 13 and Saturday, December 14.

The fundraising helps pay for uniforms, theory books, performances, competitions, and exciting travel opportunities. This spring, the members of the program will be traveling to Boston, where they will sing at the Plymouth/Mayflower 400th Anniversary and also tour Berklee School of Music, one of the top music schools in the country.

Valencia Choir’s main focus is to inspire, uplift, and cultivate community. With that in mind, the choir performs at events around the city and welcomes requests for additional opportunities.