The Lawrence University Conservatory of Music’s jazz program did it again. Two student jazz ensembles—the LU Jazz Ensemble and the Latin Jazz Ensemble—won 2025 honors in DownBeat magazine’s 48th annual Student Music Awards.
Announced May 8, the awards are the latest in an impressive run for the Conservatory in one of the most prestigious competitions for student musicians. Lawrence has taken home eight top undergraduate ensemble awards in the past eight years.
The LU Jazz Ensemble (LUJE), under the direction of Patty Darling, instructor of music, earned the Undergraduate College Award in the Large Jazz Ensemble category. The Latin Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of José Encarnación, associate professor of music and director of jazz studies, was named the winner in the Latin Group category.
The DownBeat Awards, featured in the magazine's June edition, are among the highest honors in jazz education.
Integrate intellectual and musical virtuosity in a supportive community that will empower you to find your musical path.
Lawrence’s jazz and improvisational music program has now brought home DownBeat Awards 34 times over the past four-plus decades. This is the second time in three years the program has won two awards in the same year. Encarnación credits the students' commitment to a wide range of music.
“The students we get here are smart, they’re curious, they like to explore,” he said. “So, we bring them different kinds of music, and they’re in, they’re engaged. For me, it’s seeing how they grow, how they engage with the art. That’s the reward.”
The work of faculty across the Conservatory, Encarnación added, is a collective effort that shows up in the stellar performances of music students both individually and in ensembles.
“The DownBeat Awards speak to the talent, teamwork, and collegiality that makes the Conservatory thrive,” he said. “It is an honor and an inspiration to work with everyone involved in this process. Winning two awards in the same year again demonstrates enormous program depth.”
For Encarnación’s contest entry in the Latin Group category, he submitted three charts from a performance during the 2024 Fred Sturm Jazz Celebration. Students were studying a different musical genre that included Afro-Cuban and Venezuelan rhythms.
“These are very challenging to play, especially for the rhythm section,” he said.
For Darling’s Jazz Ensemble entry, she submitted three contemporary charts that are challenging to play and require excellent musicianship from every member of the ensemble. In addition, they call for significant improvisation.
“It is fun to work on compositions like this because improvisation is woven throughout the fabric of the music, and it is rewarding for everyone to hear how it all comes together,” she said.
The awards speak to the high level of consistency that has been built into a jazz program with an impressive track record dating back to the 1970s. Now led by Encarnación, it is among the best undergraduate jazz programs in the country.
Ed Berthiaume
Ed Berthiaume is director of public information at Lawrence University.
