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ASCAP Foundation – Giveton Gelin

At age 10, Gelin, 2020 HAYJC award recipient, taught himself to play the trumpet simply by emulating his favorite records. After years of self-tutelage, Adrian D’Aguilar, bass player, began to mentor him, teaching him the tools to play jazz. Later on, the Nassau-born trumpeter would study with Dr. Eddie Henderson at the Oberlin Conservatory. The same year, he received recognition from the Young Arts Foundation and Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program. Gelon continued his studies at the Juilliard School, expecting to graduate in 2021. After only a year at Juilliard, the trumpeter has played with pioneers of the New York jazz scene including Curtis Lundy, Harold Mabern, Winard Harper, Sullivan Fortner, Ben Wolfe and Jon Batiste. Additionally, the 22-year-old trumpeter has studied with some of the world’s greatest including Wynton Marsalis, Nicholas Payton, Ralph Peterson and the late Roy Hargrove. Gelin’s artistic vision is to pay tribute to his ancestors and unify others by incorporating universal human experiences into sound. Through his quintet, Gelin brings forth a new narrative to jazz music.