TEMPLE, Texas — The Temple Highlighters, under the direction of Marcos Duran, entered the 2022 “Perform with Mintzer” National Competition, sponsored by Eastman Winds, to earn the chance to perform with Grammy Award winning saxophonist, composer, band leader, and jazz educator Bob Mintzer. In addition to submitting a video recording of a Highlighter performance, Mr. Duran was also required to submit an essay that outlined the history of the program’s history as a jazz program and answer two writing prompts. Contest judges for the competition are Eastman-endorsed artists Henry Tirfe and Jimmie Highsmith.
On April 22, 2022, Bob Mintzer took to social media and personally announced the Temple Highlighters as winners of “Perform with Mintzer” National Competition on his Facebook and Instagram Platforms. Winners of the competition receive a jazz clinic with Mintzer and will present a concert with Mintzer as the featured guest artist.
The “Perform with Mintzer” clinic and performance will take place on Saturday, October 8, 2022. The jazz clinic will take place from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. in the Temple High School Band Hall. The featured performance will take place at 7:00 p.m. in the Temple High School Auditorium. The Temple Blues will open the performance before Mintzer and the Temple Highlighters take the stage.
Bob Mintzer resides in Los Angeles where he currently holds the Barbara and Buzz McCoy endowed chair at the USC Thornton School of Music. Mintzer is a 30-year member of the Yellowjackets as their saxophonist. He is chief conductor of the WDR Big Band in Cologne Germany and has written over 500 big band arrangements, jazz study books, orchestral, and chamber works. Mintzer has over 1,000 recording credits to his name and has performed with Tito Puente, Buddy Rich, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band, Jaco Pastorius, Randy Brecker, and more. More information can be found at bobmintzermusic.com.
The Temple Highlighters are home to the oldest jazz curriculum in the State of Texas. Since 1952, jazz education has been part of the Temple ISD fine arts curriculum with dedicated class periods at the high school and middle school levels under the guidance of founding director Durward Howard. The Temple Highlighters have garnered accolades at the state and national level.