Competition to jumpstart jazz careers

10 September 2008

Competition to jumpstart jazz careers

Talented young musicians from around New Zealand are being invited to enter the AJ Hackett Bungy JumpStart competition as part of the ASB JazzFest Queenstown in October.

The competition aims to give exposure to emerging musicians and help kick start their careers.

ASB JazzFest Queenstown festival director Harvey Maguire said the competition welcomed any entry which demonstrated an understanding of the key elements of jazz.

“It’s a wide genre and we’re looking for attitude,” he said. “An entry can be a standard or a jazz interpretation of a non jazz piece, and in previous years we’ve been surprised and delighted by the talent that’s out there just waiting to be discovered.”

Open to anyone aged between 14 and 20, finalists will be selected from an initial audition round via DVD or web upload submissions. They will then be invited to participate in a free live performance in front of a judging panel and audience in Queenstown on 19 October.

The categories are solo vocal, solo instrumental and band. Winners of the solo vocal and solo instrumental categories will each receive $1,000 in cash, while the band category winner will receive $2,000.

Entries can be submitted to www.asbjazzfest.co.nz until 26 September.

ASB JazzFest Queenstown is celebrating its milestone 30th anniversary this year.  It’s Queenstown’s major springtime event, a 10-day programme of live music from October 18 to 27 showcasing a breadth of jazz styles from around New Zealand and the world. 

More than 50 bands and 200 performers inspire and entertain through a programme of 80 free events, in central Queenstown and around the district, and premium ticketed headline concerts.

Mr Maguire said the festival delivered a unique experience for everyone to enjoy by attracting leading exponents of all forms of music to Queenstown and then packaging their performances into concerts and themed events.

“Each year the calibre of artists and performances sets a new benchmark for the event, with the majority of ticketed events a sellout,” he said.

Festival tickets go on sale in mid September and can be purchased online through www.asbjazzfest.co.nz, by calling TicketDirect on 03 450 9110 or 0800 224 224 or at Queenstown i-Site (corner of Shotover and Camp streets).

AJ Hackett Bungy JumpStart Competition

19 Oct 2008, 7pm – 10pm

Rydges Lakeland Resort Queenstown

FREE

ENDS

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