The Temple University Jazz Band has secured first place at the 2026 National Collegiate Jazz Championship, held at Lincoln Center in New York City on January 17 and 18. The event was hosted by Jazz at Lincoln Center and led by renowned trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis.
Composed of undergraduate and graduate students from the Boyer College of Music and Dance, the band is directed by Terell Stafford, an award-winning trumpeter and Director of Jazz Studies. Robert Stroker, vice provost for the arts and dean of the Boyer College of Music and Dance, commented on the achievement: “Boyer College of Music and Dance is immensely proud of the Temple University Jazz Band and the dedication and hard work of its uniquely talented musicians. Boyer’s jazz program is a treasured part of the vibrant arts scene of this university and this city.”
During their performance, the band played “I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good)” and “Second Line” by Duke Ellington as well as “Windows” by Chick Corea. The arrangement for “Windows” was provided by Ted Nash, a new faculty member at Boyer College who previously performed with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
Jacquee Paul, a Class of 2026 jazz voice performance major who sings with the band, described advice given before their final performance: “Right before we played in the finals, Terrell Stafford told us to play with our hearts.”
In addition to winning first place as a group, individual members received special recognition. Zach Spondike, a music education major from the Class of 2026, earned the Harry Carney Good Citizen of Jazz Award after stepping in as a baritone saxophone substitute for another school’s band when their player became ill. He also filled in for another musician in Ted Nash Big Band during an event in New Orleans.
Temple University’s jazz ensemble has maintained strong results at this national competition over recent years—taking first place in 2020, second place in both 2022 and 2023—and competed this year against top collegiate bands from institutions including Eastman School of Music; Huston-Tillotson University; Michigan State University; North Carolina Central University; Northwestern University; The Ohio State University; University of Central Florida; University of South Carolina; and University of Texas at Austin.
Beyond competition performances, director Terell Stafford encourages students to connect with peers from other schools. In an interview on WRTI’s The Late Set he said he tells students to meet someone new at each competition: he wants Temple students to be “cheering louder for another band than they cheer for themselves.” He added about participating in such events: “If you lose, you still won because you’re there.”
Stafford has also guided students through international experiences. During spring break in 2025, they toured Japan—including concerts at Hitotsubashi University and Tokyo’s Akasaka B-flat nightclub. Their Akasaka B-flat performance will be released as Live from Japan, volume 1 on February 6 via BCM&D Records. In March they are scheduled to return to Japan for additional concerts—including one recorded show intended as volume two—and later this summer will perform across Europe with appearances planned in Italy (at Temple Rome), France (Jazz in Marciac Festival), Spain (Santander Music Festival), and Xàbia Jazz Festival.
Following their win at Lincoln Center, members are celebrating but remain focused on upcoming projects.
