The Eastman Vocal Jazz Ensemble was established in 2025 and is led by Sara Gazarek, three-time GRAMMY Award®-winning vocalist and Associate Professor of Jazz Voice. This audition-based ensemble is open to all Eastman/UR students and performs with a JCM student rhythm section. In its first year, the ensemble received an Honorable Mention for Best Collegiate Vocal Jazz Ensemble from DownBeat Magazine. EJVE performs twice per academic year, presenting commissioned works alongside jazz ensemble classics and contemporary pieces. With a focus on dense harmony, contemporary choral concepts, CCM vocal style, and performance concepts, the repertoire spans both soloist features and homophonic works.