JazzArts All-Star and Latin Grammy Scholarship Winner, Gabby Farinas

JazzArts is honored to share that clarinetist and JazzArts All-Star Gabby Farinas won the highly distinguished Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation Scholarship as a jazz performer this summer. As a result of her four years of hard work studying under JazzArts and her dedication to jazz, she has become an incredibly talented instrumentalist and the recipient of several prestigious scholarships. We are so proud of her immense progress and accomplishments.

2026 marks her last year with JazzArts as a student as she begins to pursue higher education. Before the start of her new academic journey, we at JazzArts would like to recognize the successes of this outstanding graduate, and showcase how proud we are of this amazing individual.

Before she attended JazzArts, Gabby attended a prominent music conservatory in Havana, where she studied classical music. As a dedicated musician, finding a place to continue her musical education was crucial once her and her family relocated to Charlotte. That is how she discovered JazzArts Charlotte.

“When we came here I was scared I wasn’t going to be able to keep doing music as much as I was doing in Havana, but then my mom and I started looking for programs or places where I could keep up with learning and we found Jazz Arts. And then when I went to audition everyone was so nice and welcoming and I just felt like it was the best place to keep playing and keep learning,” said Gabby, “When I moved here I started learning jazz for the first time at JazzArts. Thanks to them, I started learning new things that I never thought I would.”

Once at JazzArts, she became a member of the Youth Ensembles + Workshops, Nuestro Tiempo Latin Jazz Youth Orchestra, and worked her way up into becoming a JazzArts All-Star. Humble and exceedingly diligent, Gabby was able to quickly excel in these programs on the clarinet and piano. This led her to achieve many musical successes outside of JazzArts as well, as she earned a seat in many acclaimed ensembles such as the NC South Central All-District Band and the Brubeck Jazz Summit. In addition to these ensembles and her college scholarships, she was also awarded scholarships to attend respected musical intensives this summer. This includes a clarinet scholarship for a Traditional Jazz Camp in New Orleans and the Ensemble Excellence Award Scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music’s 2026 Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive.

When she wasn’t studying the clarinet or piano, she was researching scholarships with the help of JazzArts. She recalls,

“I found [the Mary Doctor Scholarship] thanks to Miss Davis. I think she recommended that to us and she even wrote me a letter. She was always there to help me with that.”

Gabby believes that the instruction she received throughout her time at JazzArts prepared her gradually for her scholarship auditions,

“All the years I was with Jazz Arts, little by little, they were telling me all these ways to prepare for auditions, to work, to practice, the ways to practice, the ways to study, and who to listen to.”

We are pleased to share that after undergoing many audition processes, Gabby was able to receive some of the most prestigious scholarships in the country. She was awarded the Mary Doctor Performing Arts Scholarship, the Motivated by Music Scholarship, the Berklee Merit Scholarship, and the international Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation Scholarship. The significance of these accomplishments cannot be understated. These scholarships are given only to students who display great skill and commitment to music, and it is an incredibly high honor that demonstrates Gabby’s outstanding musical talent and passion.

Despite her impressive and numerous achievements, Gabby remains humble and poised. Her character reflects her genuine desire to be the best musician she can be, and her sincere appreciation for her opportunities and background. She is ultimately motivated by her authentic passion and love for the jazz genre and her commitment to honor her Cuban roots through performance and songwriting.

“Everything I play, I try to relate it back to my Cuban roots. And if it wasn’t for all the teachers back there who taught me how to be good at your instrument and how to play correctly and all the basic stuff then I wouldn’t be able to play right now.”

Gabby will attend the highly esteemed Berklee College of Music and hopes to double-major in Music Production & Engineering and Performance. This education will provide an abundance of amazing opportunities for her future musical career. Gabby plans to dream big and keep an open mind for wherever she goes next, whether she owns a music studio, a jazz club, becomes a music producer, or gives back to the Latino community by creating an organization that helps young musicians like herself.

“I’m confident that I’ll find the path that’s right for me.”

Wherever Gabby goes next, she is sure to be a star. Her skill and dedication to jazz has made her a pleasure to teach, and we are incredibly honored to have had her as a part of our JazzArts Academy.

“Everything I’ve learned and done in the United States in music has been thanks to JazzArts, and everything I’ve gotten to do it’s because JazzArts has guided me through it. And I’m so grateful for that.”