Arman Sangalang, a 2022 graduate of the NIU School of Music with a master of music in jazz studies has earned a prestigious Luminarts Fellowship in Jazz Improvisation. Sangalang won the fellowship finals, May 7 at The Union League of Chicago.
Annually, the Luminarts Cultural Foundation, based in Chicago, offers a limited number of fellowships for young Chicago-area artists. The fellowships include an unrestricted monetary award of $10,000 to $15,000, available to applicants between the ages of 18 and 30 who reside in the Chicago-area. Core fellowships are adjudicated by professional jurors in their artistic discipline (jazz, classical music, creative writing and visual arts).
Arman Sangalang performs at the Luminarts Jazz Improvisation Fellowship finals, May 7, 2026. – Elliot Mandel Photography, courtesy of Luminarts Cultural Foundation
Gabriel Wade, ’24, who earned his master of music in percussion performance was also a Luminarts Jazz Improvisation Fellowship finalist.
Sangalang’s new album Waypoints, will be released in August. His debut album, Quartet, was awarded Best First Release as Leader by RadioRadioX.
In addition to performing, Sangalang serves on the faculty at Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts), and in the summers he is a teaching assistant at Birch Creek Music Performance Center.
