🎉 YLJC Student Malik Minert Named 2025 National YoungArts Winner in Jazz Piano Celebrating outstanding achievement in jazz and artistic excellence

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our 2025   The Shape of Jazz to Come  celebration and fundraiser. Your energy and generosity made a real impact! As many of you know, we’ve hit classroom capacity again for the 2025–26 season and had to put students on the waitlist, but thanks to the incredible support of our community, we raised enough funding to open a new classroom in 2026. Space is difficult to find in Liberty Station , but a room near our current classrooms just be

We are thrilled to announce that three exceptional Young Lions Jazz Conservatory students have been selected to join two of the most...

We’re proud to announce that pianist Quincy Reyes, a graduating senior from Canyon Crest Academy and a dedicated member of Young Lions Jazz Conservatory, is the 2025 recipient of the Dizzy Gillespie College Scholarship!

Cheers to the Class of 2025! You did it! 🎓 🎉 From your first notes to final performances, the growth we've witnessed has been nothing...

Young Lions Jazz Conservatory is proud to announce that YLJC student, Joey Kim-Weigandt, has won the prestigious Downbeat Magazine’s 48th...

🎉 YLJC Student Malik Minert Named 2025 National YoungArts Winner in Jazz Piano Celebrating outstanding achievement in jazz and artistic excellence

Congratulations, class of 2024! Your dedication, perseverance, and enthusiasm for music have been truly remarkable to observe and you...

Young Lions Jazz Conservatory is proud to announce that YLJC student, Joey Kim-Weigandt, has won the prestigious Downbeat Magazine’s 47th...

Young Lions Jazz Conservatory community and the wider San Diego jazz scene are still coming to terms with the loss of a truly remarkable...

Johnny Steele on tour with Matthew Whitaker - Brazil 2023. In 2013, the San Diego jazz scene witnessed the birth of the Young Lions...

A playlist of some of the best San Diego jazz artists for your listening pleasure. It's titled San Diego Swings and Young Lions Jazz Conserv

Gilbert Castellanos, Founder, Artistic Director Another YLJC year is coming to a close, and I feel an immense sense of pride as our...

Well done, class of 2023! Your passion for jazz, your commitment to your ensembles and peers, and your dedication to honing your craft is...

Congratulations to Nick Caldwell and Ethan Fairclough for being awarded seats in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra (NGJO) as part of the...

The Young Lions Jazz Conservatory is proud to announce that the New Soil Ensemble has won the prestigious Downbeat Student Music Awards for

In a time where much of the music being produced is electronic, auto-tuned and performed live with the accompaniment of computer...

Exciting news! Our partners at San Diego Foundation received a historic, transformative unrestricted $100 million cash gift from the...

Congrats YLJC Class of 2022! Congratulations class of 2022! Your perseverance, dedication and love of the music has been inspiring to...

Congrats to YLJC’s NEW SOIL ENSEMBLE! DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE’s 45th Annual Student Music Award, OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE! 🎉 Category: Small...