Riverdale teen hits the right notes for $10K cash prize 

YoungArts, a national organization focused on visual, literary and performing arts for emerging artists nationwide, named Luz Velázquez winner of the gold award in jazz along with a $10,000 cash prize. 

Velázquez, a junior at Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music plans to save some of the money for college while putting an amount toward a bank certificate of deposit, “with a little room for personal spending,” her mother chuckled.

Velázquez, who sings and plays trumpet, was in the middle of an orchestra rehearsal at school when she received a call telling her the good news. 

“I honestly didn’t believe it at first — I thought it was a joke,” she said. “When I realized it was the real thing, I called my mom right away — I was just so excited.”

Out of nearly 11,000 applicants, 800 were selected to compete. Velázquez won for her vocalization of “Mr. Paganini”, Ella Fitzgerald's 1961 single.

She admitted she loves all music genres but is particularly drawn to jazz and Latin music because of their “complexity” and the many instruments each genre carries.

Velázquez, a member of MasterVoices – an NYC-based symphonic choir – began singing as a toddler when she started harmonizing doo-wop songs. She took up the trumpet in middle school at IN-Tech Academy.

Velázquez performed in shows at famed venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Madison Square Garden. She was a featured musician for the NYPD’s La Jara Youth Orchestra, a youth program which builds community through music.

Velázquez said being a successful musician not only has to do with talent but also involves a level of discipline and a willingness to continuously practice and improve your musical intelligence.

“The judges are not just rating your talent — they are also rating your persona and how you carry yourself outside of the performances,” she said.

Velázquez’s older sister, Angie is a writer who also sings, but a lot of her inspiration comes from her parents, both who have a background in music

Their father, Gilberto Velázquez, performs as a sonero, a lead Salsa vocalist. Her mother, Myrna Gomila, was a singer and once collaborated with Paul Simon during the late ‘90s and early 2000s in his Broadway musical, “The Capeman,” where she performed doo-wop and Latin music. 

“I already knew she was talented, but I was just so proud of her,” Gomila said. “It makes me happy to know she’s so passionate about this.”

Velázquez said being involved in the competition was a great experience for her.

“I not only met with musicians — but also writers and designers,” she said. “I was able to connect with all different kinds of artists.”

Velázquez looks forward to a college career geared toward business, economics and -- of course -- music. One of the schools she hopes to get into is NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

The YoungArts competition is open to applicants 15 through 18 years old or in grades 10 through 12, among other requirements which vary by discipline and category. Applications are submitted online and judged by “esteemed, discipline-specific panels of artists.”

“We’re thrilled to award our largest-ever cohort of artists, selected from a record-breaking number of applications this year,” YoungArts president and CEO Clive Chang said.

YoungArts’ signature program, National YoungArts Week, is held annually in January.