El Camino High School campus

UNLV Stuns El Camino High Senior with Full Tuition Scholarship

El Camino High School senior Matteo Woo (‘24) recently won a full tuition music scholarship to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) after attending the Essentially Ellington Regional Jazz Festival with the El Camino jazz band on February 16, 2024.

Matteo piqued the interest of UNLV’s Jazz Studies Department after performing clarinet solos during the Colts’ rendition of Duke Ellington standards “Solid Old Man” and “Pyramid”. 

Judges subsequently selected Matteo as one of four “outstanding soloists” from among the 24 high school jazz bands that performed during the festival’s first day .

This provided the clarinetist with another opportunity to perform on stage during the festival’s final concert event on Saturday, February 17.

According to David Loeb, director of UNLV’s Division of Jazz and Commercial Music, Matteo's performance was “outstanding”.

The full tuition music scholarship to UNLV is the latest honor for Matteo.

On February 4, he attended the annual California All-State Music Education Conference (CASMEC) in Sacramento along with senior trombonist Dion Cagape (‘24) as a member of the 2024 California All-State Honor Band.
 
The California All-State Honor Band brings together the best student musicians in the state to perform at CASMEC under the direction of nationally and internationally renowned band directors.