TICKETS are $10 General/$5 Student.

Our Touring Student Series presents... 

The Caelan Cardello Trio consists of three young musicians from across the US: Caelan Cardello - Piano, Lucas LaFave - Bass, and Josiah DeNooyer - Drums. The trio plays fresh originals and new takes on classic standards while placing a modern spin on classic piano trios such as those led by Oscar Peterson, Cedar Walton, Kenny Kirkland, and others. Links listed below.

Caelan Cardello - piano

Josiah DeNooyer - drums

Lucas LaFave - bass

Born into a musical household in Teaneck, NJ, Caelan Cardello has roots in both the jazz and classical traditions. His consistent musical growth enabled him to secure mentorships with some of the most sought after luminaries in the jazz piano pantheon, most notably Fred Hersch, Frank Kimbrough, and Dave Kikoski.

Caelan has been involved in numerous distinguished arts programs, including Jazz House Kids in Montclair, NJ, The New Jersey All State Orchestra (2016, 2017) and the prestigious National Young Arts NYC program (2018) for which he was selected from a substantial and very competitive pool of talented young musicians. These programs paired with Caelan’s incredible ability have given him the opportunity to perform with many other celebrated jazz greats in NYC’s legendary jazz haunts like Dizzy’s Club, Minton’s Playhouse, Smalls Jazz Club and The Jazz Standard.

Over time, Caelan’s musical accomplishments and live performances have garnered him several prestigious awards including the New Jersey Governor's Award, the James Moody College Scholarship Award for “Outstanding Musicianship,” and the prestigious 2021 BMI Foundation’s Future Jazz Master Award which lists Ahmad Jamal, Ron Carter, and Herbie Hancock among their judges. Most recently, Caelan was selected as one of the five finalists for the very prestigious American Pianists Association Jazz Piano Competition. The competition prize includes career assistance and touring, with a value of over $200,000.

Currently, Caelan plays both solo and with his trio in NYC, around the tri-state area and tours throughout the US. He recently began his master’s program in Jazz Performance at the Juilliard School.

Lucas LaFave, born and raised in the heartlands of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is one Michigan's most in demand double bassists. Starting at the age of 10 years old, Lucas began his playing career in the world of school orchestra classes before quickly finding his place among his jazz peers. Lucas' adolescence saw him performing with some of the U.P.'s finest folk musicians, including Dylan Trost, Kerry Yost, Alexis Mahler, Nick Adams and the Aral Sea Divers, and Troy Graham.

After making the decision to dedicate himself to the pursuit of excellence on the double bass, Lucas relocated from Marquette, MI to East Lansing to study under the guidance of Rodney Whitaker at Michigan State University. Here, Lucas secured a Bachelor (2020) and Master of Music (2022), all while traveling the midwest with MSU's top jazz ensembles.

Professionally, Lucas has worked with a wide range of artists, including Michael Dease, Bill Cunliffe, Moira Smiley, Paquito D'Rivera, Dave Zeigner, Trunino Lowe, Michael Reed, Jack Branfield, Russ Macklem, Byron Landham, Scott Gwinnell, and many others.

Today, Lucas finds himself performing alongside musicians like; Randy Napoleon, Tony Viviano, Luke Sittard, Olivia Van Goor, Sarah Price, Gene Dunlap, and Charles and Gwen Scales.

Josiah DeNooyer is a drummer, pianist, composer and educator from Grand Rapids, MI. Under the guidance of Keith Hall, he recently graduated from the acclaimed jazz studies program at Western Michigan University, where he received multiple DownBeat awards in the school’s top ensembles. Since then, he has studied with Billy Childs, Steve Wilson, and Rufus Reid as a part of the Ravinia Steans Music Institute. Beyond the academy, DeNooyer performs around West Michigan with various groups ranging in style from New Orleans Second Line to singer-songwriter and many different expressions of jazz. He has recorded drums for two recently released albums, Planets by producer-saxophonist Stratøs and Datum by producer-saxophonist Kyle James. He recently recorded his first album of original music for string quartet and jazz quartet, a work that reflects his vision to engage with the community and create music that crosses traditional stylistic boundaries. DeNooyer also works as an educator, bringing music into Kalamazoo communities through afterschool programs, summer programs and workshops. He recently stepped into the Executive Director role of the Edison Jazz Fest where he engages with the musical community in Kalamazoo by supporting and promoting various artists through weekly concerts and jam sessions.

Caelan Cardello

Website: caelancardello.com

Instagram: @caelan_cardello

Performance link: https://www.youtube.com/live/o15M-CAVOzM?feature=share

Josiah DeNooyer

Website: josiahdenooyermusic.com

Instagram: @musedriano_lyfe

Performance link: https://www.youtube.com/live/VDInS8ctkXU?si=-GvT1HxS_f9Az_-F&t=6183

Lucas LaFave

Instagram: @lucaslafave

Concerts and events made possible, in part, with support from the Wells Fargo Philanthropic Services Private Trust Foundations, which include grants from the Stanley A. and Flora P. Clark Memorial Community Trust Foundation (2020-2021; 2022-2023 seasons), the John, Anna, and Martha Jane Fields Memorial Trust Foundation (2021-2022; 2022-2023 seasons), and the Florence V. Carroll Charitable Trust (2021-2022; 2022-2023 season). Special concert event support provided by the Arts Midwest Grow, Invest, Gather (GIG) Fund grant (2022-2023 season). Activities are made possible in part by the Arts Organization Support (AOS), Indiana Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency (2023-2024 season).

Concerts and events made possible, in part, with support from The Esther and George Jaruga Charitable Foundation (2020-2023 seasons).

The Student and Home Grown Series concerts made possible, in part, with support from the ArtsEverywhere Grant from the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County, and the Arts Project Support Grant and the Arts Recovery Grant through the Indiana Arts Commission.