Pacific Standard Time

from Cal State Long Beach, Director, Christine Guter

Friday, November 8, 2024

8 pm

Cuesta CPAC

Tickets are $20 adults, and $10 students 

Available to purchase on the festival registration form

Pacific Standard Time, directed by Christine Helferich Guter, is the top vocal jazz ensemble at California State University Long Beach, Bob Cole Conservatory of Music. It is a highly select ensemble consisting of twelve vocalists and a four-piece rhythm section, performing jazz and jazz-influenced styles, featuring close vocal harmonies, leading-edge repertoire, and refined soloing and improvisational skills.

The group has been honored with DownBeat Magazine Student Music Awards for the past fifteen years in a row (2010-2024). Several students from Pacific Standard Time have also received multiple DownBeat Awards in the categories of Solo Jazz Vocalist, Pop/Rock Soloist, Latin Group, and Jazz Arrangement.

Pacific Standard Time has performed at the most prestigious state, national, and international music conferences and festivals, including the Jazz Education Network Conference, International Association for Jazz Education Conference, American Choral Directors Association Conference, and the California Music Education Conference. They have also performed at the Playboy Jazz Festival on the stage of the Hollywood Bowl, the Los Angeles Jazz Festival, the Newport Beach Jazz Party, and the West Coast Jazz Party. Pacific Standard Time has also had the honor of performing with internationally renowned jazz vocalists such as Kurt Elling, Peter Eldridge and Dena DeRose.

Pacific Standard Time has competed at the Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival and taken first place in the Collegiate Vocal Jazz Ensemble division four times.  As winners of this competition, they were invited back to perform at the historic and prestigious 52nd, 54th, 57th, 62nd Annual Monterey Jazz Festivals.

Graduates of Pacific Standard Time have been featured on “The Voice”, “The Sing-Off”, National Harmony Sweepstakes, national TV commercials, movie soundtracks, and national tours (Michael Buble, Jennifer Lopez, Chaka Khan, The Jacksons,). Graduates are also current members of professional vocal ensembles such as M-Pact, The Filharmonic, Knower, The House Jacks, Honey Whiskey Trio, Tonality, Lyyra (Voces 8), LA Master Chorale, Tonality, Pacific Chorale and the Newfangled Four.