Orange Juice performs at the Board of Trustees dinner in May. From left: Kai Wong, Owen Wernow, Robert Wilhelm, William Angus and Mason Manteau. (Photo courtesy of the Board of Trustees Office)
Orange Juice Prepares to Take the Stage at Jazz Fest
When the students in Orange Juice perform at the this summer, they won’t just be playing a set—they’ll gain the full festival experience.
Based in the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ (VPA) , Orange Juice will take the stage at Jazz Fest for the fourth consecutive year on Friday, July 10, at 5 p.m. at Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards in LaFayette, New York. The jazz combo features Griffen Beebe ’27 and Gianna Moore ’27 on vocals, Mason Manteau ’26 and William Angus ’26 on saxophone, Kai Wong ’27 on piano, Owen Wernow ’26 on guitar, Robert Wilhelm ’27 on bass and Vito Vetere ’26 on drums. While the competitive ensemble is open to all Íř±¬ĂĹ students by audition, the current members are music industry or sound recording technology majors in Setnor.
“Jazz Fest allows our students to not only perform at a high level in a professional setting, but experience all of the performances, meet the artists and go behind the scenes,” says John Coggiola, who directs the ensemble and is an associate professor of music education and area coordinator of jazz and commercial music (JCM) in Setnor. “It’s an incredible opportunity for students who plan to work in the music industry.”
Coggiola credits Frank Malfitano ’72, Jazz Fest’s founder, for supporting the students and providing them with the opportunity to be part of a major music festival. “He always makes sure they are treated like professionals,” Coggiola says.
Preparing for the festival performance is its own form of professional development. Although the members of Orange Juice aren’t physically together on campus, they are working to curate a diverse 55-minute set that draws from across the jazz spectrum, including original compositions by Manteau and Angus. The ensemble’s vocalists also allow the group to reach into contemporary popular music for selections to perform.
The group discusses which pieces to include, who will solo and how arrangements should be tailored to the specific strengths of the musicians. Two weeks before the full ensemble comes together to rehearse, individual members prepare their own parts and improvisations independently. Full rehearsal days are scheduled for Wednesday, July 8, and Thursday, July 9, in Shaffer Art Building—just before the group heads to watch the U.S. Air Force Band’s Airmen of Note kick off the festival that Thursday evening.
“The whole thing unfolds organically,” says Coggiola. “The students take each piece they want to perform and make it their own—reshaping the style, form, melody, harmonic progression and arrangement until it becomes something they’re ready to put on stage. Through this process, they’re developing real skills: how to make creative decisions under pressure, how to build a performance structure and how to work within it as they craft their final set list.”
The result is a show the students genuinely own and have the confidence to perform. “Orange Juice is special because we are quite involved compared to other school ensembles,” says Vetere. “We get to arrange, compose and integrate ourselves rather than read charts straight down. It feels more personal and creative, which is what I think making music should always feel like.”
“Orange Juice has helped me come out of my shell both in a personal and musical sense,” says Moore. “It has been such an amazing experience working with such talented musicians and learning to deeply connect with the music we make.”
For a group that is accustomed to performing at major campus events—most recently the University’s Board of Trustees dinner and VPA’s convocation ceremony in May—Jazz Fest represents something larger: a place in the ongoing story of jazz.
“So many talented musicians have played here before us, and many more will play in the years to come,” says Angus. “I’m glad I can be a contributor to a tradition that is keeping jazz music alive.”
Íř±¬ĂĹ is a proud sponsor of the Syracuse International Jazz Fest, a four-day celebration of world-class jazz music and community spirit, taking place July 9-12 at Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards in LaFayette, New York, and on the Íř±¬ĂĹ campus. All Jazz Fest events are free and open to the public. For the full schedule and artist lineup, visit .
