Gilbert Castellanos is a nationally acclaimed musician, composer, curator, educator, arranger, and one of the country's most sought-after jazz trumpeters. Based in San Diego, Castellanos has been a member of The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra for over a decade, performing globally and recording with the renowned big band.

He is a six-time San Diego Music Awards winner for Best Jazz Artist and Artist of the Year. In 2022, he became the first jazz artist in SDMA history to win Album of the Year for his release Espérame en el Cielo, which spent several months in the top 50 on the jazz charts.

Castellanos is widely celebrated for establishing San Diego as a premier jazz destination. His impactful collaborations include Jazz @ The Jacobs and Bayside Summer Nights Jazz with The San Diego Symphony, Portraits in Jazz and the Young Lions Series at The San Diego Museum of Art, and his work as Resident Composer with The San Diego Ballet.

In 2016, he founded The Young Lions Jazz Conservatory, reflecting his unwavering dedication to his mission: keeping jazz alive.