Press 2024: YJTA

YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD 2024 . VOCALS ONLY

Jazz is an essential part of musical culture. During its more than one hundred years of development, jazz has constantly spawned new styles and has become a globally dominant form of pop music, which it continues to play a key role in shaping.Jazz musicians are characterised not only by a high level of virtuosity in the mastery of their instruments but also by a special talent for improvisation. In Germany, prominent artists such as Albert Mangelsdorff, Klaus Doldinger and Till Brönner have developed an independent jazz culture of international importance since the 1960s.

Promoting young jazz talent in German-speaking countries is a particular concern of the initiators of the YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD. The Ringbeck Foundation launched the award in 2022. into being: Young, not yet established jazz musicians between the ages of 16 and 23 are to be given special support in their career development. Each year, a selected instrument/element of jazz takes centre stage.

In 2022, the focus was on the drums ... „DRUMS ONLY“. The winner was Merlin Hellenkamp. He studies at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen Werden - Bachelor‘s degree programme „Jazz Performing Artist Drums“ with lessons from Prof. Thomas Alkier and Sperie Karas. At the age of 18, he was the youngest of four nominated drummers and proved to be an exceptional talent among the younger drummers in North Rhine-Westphalia.

2023 focussed on the piano as one of the particularly important, style-defining instruments in jazz and pop music ... „PIANO ONLY“. The 22-year-old Paul Küppers won the majority of the jury votes. Paul is in his sixth semester at the HfMT in 2023. University of Music and Dance . Cologne - Bachelor‘s degree programme „Music . Jazz/Pop“ with lessons from Prof Hubert Nuss and Prof Niels Klein. He is the bandleader of the group PKIII and has performed as a sideman with the Frederik Hesses Quintet and the fusion band M.E.I.N.E.R., among others.

»VOCALS ONLY«

In 2024, the competition will focus on singing as a complementary and at the same time dominant element of jazz ... „VOCALS ONLY“. The competition will be held among the nominated will take place on 26 April 2024 from 20:30 in the »Jazz Schmiede . Düsseldorf«.

The concept of the YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD was jointly developed by the board of the Ringbeck Foundation of the „Ringbeck Foundation“ Jürgen Ringbeck, and Peter Weiss, the spiritus rector of the Düsseldorf jazz scene and musical director of the „Jazz Schmiede . Düsseldorf“. Special thanks to the professors responsible for the nominations for their support during the realisation, the members of the jury as well as the „Jazz Schmiede Düsseldorf“ and the other participating German jazz clubs.

YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD . 2024

The process of the competition in 2024
In order to simplify the selection process while ensuring a high quality of candidates, the pre-selection was initially limited to jazz singers studying in North Rhine-Westphalia. Prof Romy Camerun, „Folkwang University of the Arts . Essen“ and Prof Anette von Eichel, „Hochschule für Musik und Tanz . Cologne“ as renowned instructors in the region, each proposed two suitable candidates who, after fulfilling all the necessary requirements, were nominated for the competition.

These are the jazz singers nominated for the YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD 2024:

Merle Böwering
Anna Galtschenko
Sophia Hufschmidt
Eva Swiderski

THE 2024 COMPETITION

The audition, the selection of the winner and the award ceremony will take place on 26 April 2024 from 20:30 with a public event in the “Jazz Schmiede . Düsseldorf”. Each candidate, together with the accompanying band - Lars Duppler (pano), Nico Brandenburg (bass), Simon Busch (drums)– will sing three selected pieces of music in the styles of modern jazz, standard, ternary; ballad; groove jazz or funk/rock etc. Binary.

The prizewinner will be selected by a competent jury and the audience present and then honoured on the same evening.

THE JURY

Fay Claassen . multi-award-winning jazz singer
Kristina Brodersen . Renowned jazz musician on saxophone
Uli Beckerhoff . Internationally renowned jazz musician . Professor of jazz trumpet
Jürgen Ringbeck . Initiator and organiser of the YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD . Jazz enthusiasts
the audience of the “Jazz Schmiede . Düsseldorf” on the evening of the competition

The YOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD 2024 is again endowed with € 5,000.00. The prize winner will organised a concert tour with her own band in four renowned German jazz clubs in the period 14.09. – 21.09.2024. The prize money will be used for the realisation of this tour – for fees, travel expenses, hotel accommodation, etc.. The tour will be organised by Peter Weiss.