GUITAR ONLY - the YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD is entering its 4th round. Late in the evening of May 10, 2025, it will once again be "The winner is ...".
Four exceptionally talented guitarists - two of them studying at the HfMT University of Music and Dance in Cologne, the other two at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen - will compete against each other. A four-person jury and the audience vote will decide who will be the jazz talent of the year 2025 on the guitar. As in previous years, it will probably not be easy to choose the winner. Because one thing is clear: all of the nominees are extremely good at handling their instrument, the guitar. All of them are highly talented, highly motivated, love and live music, jazz, their instrument. What happens this evening is a milestone in the careers of the young musicians - as the winners of the past three years confirm with their statements.
We are expecting an exciting, musically top-class evening at the Jazz Schmiede in Düsseldorf. If you want to be there, reserve your ticket now. Because we already know who will definitely come. And there are quite a few of them.
The content concept of the YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD was developed jointly by the board of the "Ringbeck Foundation" Jürgen Ringbeck and Peter Weiss, the spiritus rector of the Düsseldorf jazz scene and former musical director of the "Jazz Schmiede . Düsseldorf". In 2024, Peter Baumgärtner will take over the management of the "Jazz Schmiede . Düsseldorf" and the accompaniment of the YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD. Special thanks for their support in implementation go to the professors and lecturers responsible for the nominations, the members of the jury as well as the "Jazz Schmiede . Düsseldorf" and the other participating German jazz clubs.
EVA SWIDERSKI
Winner of the YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD 2024 . VOCALS ONLY
„I am very grateful to have taken part in the »Young Jazz Talent Award« competition and to have been given the opportunity to realise my first tour with my large ensemble EVA. It was a great pleasure to bring my music to the stage with my FLINTA band – hoping to inspire and at the same time bring more diversity to the jazz landscape.
Despite the pressure of competition, I think it's essential that musicians strengthen each other, network and stand up for each other in solidarity. After all, music thrives on exchange and a real community can only exist if everyone is equally free
I found the encounters with the other nominees particularly enriching. I am a big fan of their work, follow their careers with enthusiasm and wish us all the best for the future."
>>> Eva Swiderski – Winner of the »YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD 2024«
PAUL KÜPPERS
Winner of the YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD 2023 . PIANO ONLY
As a young, artistic person who can ponder a lot and sometimes reflects too much, I was for a long time, and still am to some extent, heavily involved in finding a place in the huge landscape of contemporary music in which my work can find meaning. I don't see my success at the Young Talents Jazz Award as a victory over my fellow competitors, but as a test of courage that challenged me to take the first steps necessary to establish an individual, artistic profile. The competition helped me to find out for myself what I value and want to cultivate artistically. It also made it clearer to me which paths, which had previously seemed vague and unknown to me, I could take.
Compared to two years ago, I am able to see, use and celebrate the diversity and boundlessness of modern music. This applies to all areas of my work - be it composition, performance, concerts or production.
The competition also helped me to find out how to manage my own project efficiently and sensitively as part of my tour. As a result of the evening, which was very positive for me, I can confidently say that I have gained a great deal of self-esteem.
>>> Paul Küppers – Winner of the »YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD 2023«
MERLIN HELLENKAMP
Winner of the YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD 2022 . DRUMS ONLY
“I remember a very exciting, inspiring and unique competition evening. I particularly enjoyed the personal and musical exchange with the other competition candidates, the musicians and the jury. So winning was the icing on the cake for an already successful evening. I also remember being very excited, especially during my performance and at the moment of the award ceremony.
The tour associated with the win gave me an impressive insight into the perspectives within the jazz scene: composing the musical suite “LOVE”, planning the tour, communicating with the jazz clubs and venues, a little insight into the world of “tour life”, in which we played with the band in a different city every night. The promotion of the project was sustainable and has enabled me to organize further follow-up performances for the project to this day.
Musically, I am now not only a percussionist in a variety of projects, but also a composer, arranger and conductor. The musical scene at the Folkwang is particularly close to me because of the musical stylistic versatility, the combination of text, music and dance and especially the possibility of being able to convey meaningful experiences and perspectives on these three levels intensively and authentically within the framework of a musical. In February 2025, I premiered my first jointly written musical “Es Wird - Schon Wieder” with orchestra together with the musical students at Folkwang. Further musical projects are being planned.”
>>> Merlin Hellenkamp – Winner of the »YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD 2022«
