OPRF Jazz Ensemble Earns State Spotlight and Brings It Home

There’s a rhythm to excellence at Oak Park and River Forest High School, and this year, it’s coming straight from the Jazz Ensemble.

Led by Director Anthony Svejda, the OPRFHS Jazz Ensemble has earned one of the most prestigious honors in Illinois music education: an invitation to perform as a featured ensemble at the 2026 Illinois Music Education Conference (IMEC) in Peoria. This rare opportunity showcases not just individual student talent but the collective artistry, discipline, and innovation that define the ensemble’s work.

“Only a handful of full ensembles are selected to perform at the state level,” said Svejda. “It’s a rigorous audition process that takes months of preparation, from recording repertoire to gathering letters of recommendation and hosting guest clinicians. Getting in is a true accomplishment.”
The group’s upcoming IMEC performance reflects years of growth and creative exploration. It also cements OPRF’s reputation as a leader in high school jazz education.

While some ensembles stick to traditional jazz literature, Svejda is intentional about expanding students’ musical horizons. One of the standout pieces in this year’s repertoire? An Afro-Peruvian jazz chart titled Quadra 11, which Svejda discovered by chance, thanks to a playlist his 11-year-old son created.

“We heard it and immediately thought, ‘This is something special,’” Svejda said. Within hours, he had contacted the composer, Anibal Seminario, and secured the unpublished piece to bring it to life with his students.

To deepen the authenticity of the performance, Svejda brought in Juan Pastor, a local jazz percussion expert and director of jazz studies at North Central College, who, it turns out, plays with Seminario’s band. “It’s the kind of full-circle moment that only happens in music,” Svejda said.

With 22 students in the ensemble, the group embodies the school’s values of excellence and equity. “These kids work incredibly hard,” Svejda said. “They deserve to be heard.”

For those who can’t make the January 29 state performance in Peoria, the ensemble will bring the music home:

• February 3: OPRF Jazz Concert featuring both the Jazz Ensemble and middle school groups from Julian and Brooks. This powerful feeder event helps younger musicians see and hear what’s possible.
• February 18: A special public performance at the legendary Jazz Showcase in downtown Chicago, where OPRFHS will perform the full IMEC set as openers for jazz great Bob Lark.

The Jazz Ensemble’s statewide recognition is part of a bigger story unfolding at OPRFHS. As student interest and achievement in the arts continue to grow, so does the district’s commitment to supporting that excellence. Act 3, the next phase of campus construction, will transform our performing arts facilities, giving band, choir, orchestra, and theater programs the purpose-built spaces they deserve. It’s an investment not just in buildings, but in the creative futures of students who continue to inspire and achieve at the highest levels.