Gina Benalcazar-Lopez - The BOUNCE (2023)

Gina Benalcazar was born and raised in Queens New York. She completed her undergraduate at University of North Florida in Classical Bass Trombone Performance and her graduate studies at Michigan State University in Jazz Studies. Under the mentorship of artists like Michael Dease, Luis Bonilla, David Gibson, and Doug Purviance, she has become one of the most in-demand doublers on the scene.

As a low brass douber she subs in bands like The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, The Birdland Big Band, and The Christian McBride Big Band. She is also a member of Rodney Whitaker’s Jazz Orchestra at Dr. Phillips Center, Ulysses Owen’s Jr’s New Century Big Band, The David Gibson Big Band, and the Dee Dee Bridgewater Big Band. She is one of the Administrative Faculty at the Brevard Jazz Institute, under the direction of Michael Dease. She has also had the opportunity to play and record with artists and bands such as the Mica Bethea Big Band, The Becoming Quintet, Michael Dease, Rodney Whitaker, Etienne Charles, Ulysses Owens Jr., Christian McBride, David Gibson, Seneca Black, Dick Oatts, and more. Gina is now leading a quintet called “The BOUNCE” that was selected for a Chamber Music of America grant in 2019. They perform in clubs around the North East, as well as in Lansing Michigan, and are scheduled to record their first album in the Spring of 2022. They can be booked for performances, festivals, masterclasses, and guest artist series.