FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., July 13 -- The University of Arkansas issued the following news release:
The U of A Latin American Ensemble has earned national and international recognition for its artistic excellence, receiving prestigious honors that highlight the program's growing reputation as one of the leading collegiate Latin music ensembles.
Directed by Professor Fernando Valencia, the ensemble recently received a 2026 DownBeat Student Music Award for Outstanding Performance in the Graduate Latin Jazz category. The recognition marks the ensemble's second DownBeat honor in three years, following its 2024 Student Music Award in the same category. Valencia also earned a Silver Medal from the Global Music Awards for his original composition, "Cho...