Nicolaus Gelin, trumpet, was born in Miami and began studying violin and piano at age 7 before discovering the trumpet at age 12. He attended the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Jon Faddis and Ingrid Jensen. Gelin is a YoungArts winner and was also selected for the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program at the Kennedy Center. He contributed the original score to a short film by Rosie Elliot, which received the Phil Knight Foundation award. Gelin is also a visual artist whose work was featured at an exhibition in Barcelona.

Nathan Gilbreath, trombone, was born in Seattle, Washington and began his musical studies on piano at age 7 before picking up trombone three years later. While earning his Bachelor’s Degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, he studied with Andre Hayward, Joshua Redman and Marcus Printup. Gilbreath has performed with Matt Brewer, Tom Catanzaro, David Sanchez and Matt Wilson. Gilbreath was named Outstanding Soloist at the Bellevue College Jazz Festival and was selected to participate in the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra. He was also a finalist in the American Trombone Workshop competition.

Mwanzi Harriott, guitar, was born in Miami, Florida, and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He started learning guitar at age 7 by observing his father playing. He attended Tri-Cities High School, studying classical string bass in the magnet string orchestra program before focusing on jazz guitar. Harriott attended the Berklee College of Music, where he studied with well-respected musicians such as Terri Lyne Carrington, Tim Miller, and Joanne Brackeen among others. During his first year, he was named a recipient of the National YoungArts Honorable Mention Award for guitar. Following his time at Berklee, he moved to New York City, where he led his own band and played with artists such as Orrin Evans and Nasheet Waits. He was also selected to be in the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead 2024 cohort led by Jason Moran.

Yerin Kim, bass, was born in Daejeon, South Korea and began her music studies on piano at age 5. She received her undergraduate degree in Bass Performance from Berklee College of Music, where she was awarded the Wes Wehmiller Memorial Endowed Scholarship and the Berklee International Network Scholarship. Kim participated in the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program at the Kennedy Center, where she had the opportunity to study with Jason Moran and Benny Green. She has toured internationally with her group, including performances in South Korea, Japan, and the United States. Kim has also studied with Linda May Han Oh, Terri Lyne Carrington, Marquis Hill, and Billy Kilson among others.

Elisee Ngbo, piano, was born and raised in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and began his musical journey in church playing the drums at the age of 3. He earned a degree in Music Performance in Contemporary Percussion from Western Connecticut State University, where he studied with Yale percussion alumnus and jazz vibraphonist, Doug Perry. He also competed in Drum Corps International as a snare drummer. While in college, Ngbo received mentorship from tenor saxophonist, Jackie McLean protégé Jimmy Greene, Buster Williams, Dayna Stephens, Jean Baylor and Jaleel Shaw among others. He went on to earn a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from the Manhattan School of Music, where he served as Jazz Representative for the student body and received a DownBeat Award for a “VSOP Tribute Group.”

Mailo Rakotonanahary, drums, was born in Paris, France, and began studying music at age six. He started playing classical percussion and drums in Toulouse before focusing on jazz at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris. Rakotonanahary won the Best Soloist award at the Trophées du Sunset Sunside. He was a member of the Gutenberg Jazz Collective, where he studied with Terri Lyne Carrington, David Virelles, Christian McBride, and Melissa Aldana among others. He has performed at major jazz festivals and venues across France and won several competitions with his band, AMG. Rakotonanahary is also the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship.