Trumpeter, composer, educator and DePaul 14 Under 40 honoree Marquis Hill (MM ’12) brought his emotional, driving style to the prestigious 2014 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in Los Angeles, Calif., where he blew away the competition to take first place. His winning ways are showcased in this semifinals set recorded Nov. 8, 2014, at UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall. Hill performed Monk’s standard “Straight, No Chaser,” Jack Segal’s “When Sunny Gets Blue” and his own composition, “The Wrath of Lark,” accompanied by the 2014 competition band of Reginald Thomas (piano), Rodney Whitaker (bass) and Carl Allen (drums).

Read more about Hill, one of DePaul’s 14 Under 40 outstanding alumni for 2015, in the fall issue of DePaul Magazine. >>

John Burk, chief creative officer at Concord Music Group, and jazz musician Herbie Hancock congratulate Marquis Hill during the 2014 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Trumpet Competition at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. Photo credit: Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images for Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.