The Jazz Composers Alliance (JCA) recently announced the winners of the 2001 Julius Hemphill Composition Awards. Six winning ensembles shared a total of $3000 in prize money while finalists and honorable mentions took home software and CD prizes. On top of the cash awarded, one or more of the large ensembles will have their compositions played by the JCA Orchestra in 2002-2003. Among the judges were Bob Blumenthal, jazz writer and critic, Russ Gershon, leader of Either/Orchestra, Ken Pullig, Director of Jazz Composition at Berklee College of Music, and Ken Schaphorst, Director of Jazz Studies at the New England Conservatory of Music.
Now in its tenth year, the Jazz Composers Alliance/Julius Hemphill Composition Awards have showcased music from across the U.S. and around the world. This year, music was sent from 26 states and 13 countries. The JCA is funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency that receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by Mark of the Unicorn, INC and Accurate Records. This year’s winners are:
Category 1 (Large Ensembles):
Awards ($500) to: Christina Fuchs, Koln, Germany; John Rapson, Iowa City, IA; Joey Sellers, Dekalb, Il
Finalists (receive Mark of the Unicorn Music Software): Aaron Mendez, Brooklyn, NY; Dave Rivello, East Rochester, NY; Joel Harrison, New York, NY
Honorable Mentions (CD’s from Accurate Records): Thomas Bergman, Berlin, Germany; Jurgen Friedrich, Cologne, Germany; Ernesto Klar, Cambridge, MA; Nicolas Sorin, New York, NY; Larry Steen, Los Angeles, CA; Marc van Vugt, Houten, The Netherlands.
Category 2 (Small Ensembles):
Awards ($500) to: Jurgen Friedrich, Cologne, Germany; John Hollenback, New York, NY; Peter Apfelbaum, Brooklyn, NY.
Finalists (receive Mark of the Unicorn Music Software): Jimi Durso, Westbury, NY; Chris Greco, Pasadena, CA; Mark Nodwell, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
Honorable Mentions (CD’s from Accurate Records): Justin Morell, Oakland, CA; John Rapson, Iowa City, IA; Matt Steckler, Salem, MA; Jacob Koller, Phoenix, AZ; Joey Sellers, Dekalb, Il.
For more information, e-mail the Jazz Composers Alliance at [email protected]
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