Violinists of the Jazz World !!!

Artists from all over the world competing for the much coveted prizes, and giants of international jazz in the jury: the 1st International Zbigniew Seifert Jazz Violin Competition, commemorating the work and figure of a jazz violin genius from Poland - starts on 16th July.

“Seifert is our national treasure,” says the jazz trumpeter Tomasz Stańko, who many years ago played with Zbigniew Seifert in a phenomenal band taking the European stages by storm. And there is no exaggeration in this claim. Zbigniew Seifert was a unique phenomenon in the world of jazz – a genius, even a visionary of the jazz violin. Even though his meteoric international career was cut short by an untimely death, his music has played an enormous role in the development of the generations of musicians that came after him.

Seifert’s output is still held in very high regard. It acts as a magnet and an inspiration, a fountainhead of powerful emotions. This continued impact has been confirmed by the jazz giants who once had the opportunity to work closely with Seifert (such as Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield and Nana Vasconcelos). It is also corroborated by the enormous interest with which the first edition of our International Zbigniew Seifert Jazz Violin Competition has met among young instrumentalists from all over the world. Their response proves that the Competition fills a major gap on the international music market. It also remains an unprecedented event on a global scale, as, remarkably, there has so far been no other prestigious competition dedicated to the jazz violin. 

The 1st International Zbigniew Seifert Jazz Violin Competition is being held in the year of its eminent patron’s 35th death anniversary. What adds splendour to the event is the presence of Seifert’s musical friends. The already mentioned Tomasz Stańko has agreed to accept the Honorary Presidency of the Competition Board, and he has been joined by artists, journalists and jazz activists supporting the competition: Urszula Dudziak, Dave Liebman, Chris Hinze, Paweł Brodowski, and Bert Noglik. Seifert’s one-time musical companions also serve on the Competition jury: Glen Moore (an outstanding double bassist and co-founder of the legendary band Oregon), Janusz Stefański (a percussionist and member of Seifert’s ensembles) as well as Mark Feldman (one of the greatest contemporary jazz violinists, fascinated with the work and figure of Zbigniew Seifert).

The preliminary stage of the Competition was completed a couple of weeks ago. From among the 63 submitted applications, the jury has selected the recordings of 10 violinists: eight male and two female (!). The semi-finalists are: Jason Anick, Klemens Bittmann, Apel-les Carod Requesens, Bartosz Dworak, Łukasz Górewicz, Roman Janoska, Dawid Lubowicz, Tomoko Omura, Eva Slongo, and Stanisław Słowiński. 

The ten young jazz violinists will compete during open auditions held in the Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music in Lusławice (16th -18th July 2014). We are bound to see some exciting artistic competition: after all, the prizes total 17,000 Euro.

The gala concert and award ceremony have been scheduled for 19th July. The performers of the gala concert in the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology in Cracow will include not only the Competition winners, but also the jurors, who, having accepted the invitation to this special concert, have formed a unique band which will pay musical homage to their late friend and phenomenal artist – Zbigniew Seifert.

Both the auditions and the concert will be streamed online on RadioJazz.fm.

Other Polish cities are also joining us for the celebration of this great feast of Seifert’s music. The 7th Summer Jazz Academy held in July and August in Łódź will be accompanied by a series of concerts dedicated to the memory of the eminent Polish jazz violinist, while the programme of the 19th Summer Jazz Festival at Piwnica Pod Baranami features several violin-centred programmes: Mateusz Smoczyński with Paweł Kaczmarczyk’s band (11.07), Maciej Strzelczyk (16.07), Adam Bałdych and Piotr Orzechowski “Pianohooligan” in their project entitled “Mirrors. Tribute to Zbigniew Seifert” (17.07), as well as Krzesimir Dębski (18.07). On 11th July, almost directly before the semifinals, a collection of Zbigniew Seifert mementoes, posters, photos and manuscripts will be officially presented to the Polish Jazz Archive in the National Library of Poland.

The organiser of the 1st International Zbigniew Seifert Jazz Violin Competition is the Zbigniew Seifert Foundation.

The event has been organised in co-operation with the Summer Jazz Festival at Piwnica pod Baranami. 

The project has received the financial support of: The Ministry of Culture and Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Poland, the Małopolskie Province and the Municipal Council of Kraków.

COMPETITION PATRONS: STOART Union of Performing Artists, ZAiKS Polish Society of Authors and Composers, ZEW Niedzica, MARR.

COMPETITION PARTNERS: The Summer Jazz Festival at Piwnica pod Baranami, Krakow Festival Office, the European Krzysztof Penderecki Center for Music in Lusławice, the National Audiovisual Institute, Adam Mickiewicz Institute, the Academy of Music in Cracow, the National Library of Poland, Jazzinstitut Darmstadt, Era Jazzu, The International Contest of Young Jazz Bands “Jazz Juniors”, Hotel PTTK Wyspiański, Donimirski Boutique Hotels.

MEDIA PATRONS: TVP Kraków, Polish Radio Channel Two, Radio Kraków, RadioJazz.fm, AMS, Jazz Forum, JazzPress, Karnet, Tygodnik Powszechny, Gazeta Wyborcza, culture.pl, www.Krakow.pl, www.etherjazzu.pl, polish-jazz.blogspot.com, JazzSoul.pl.

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

16th July 2014 

7 pm 

– The European Krzysztof Penderecki Center for Music in Lusławice 

– semi-final auditions 

17th July 2014 

7 pm 

– The European Krzysztof Penderecki Center for Music in Lusławice 

– semi-final auditions 

18h July 2014 

7 pm 

– The European Krzysztof Penderecki Center for Music in Lusławice 

– final auditions 

19th July 2014 

7 pm 

– Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology in Cracow

– gala concert 

Admission to the auditions in Lusławice between 16th and 18th July is free!

Free entrance tickets can be collected as of 14th July from the following venues:

Lusławice – The European Krzysztof Penderecki Center for Music 

Tarnów – Tarnów Information Centre, 7, Rynek (Main Square) 

Cracow – InfoKrakow, 2, Św. Jana St.

Tickets for the 19th July gala concert (price: 40 PLN) can be purchased as of 1st July 2014 from the InfoKraków urban information network:

- InfoKraków information point: 2, Św. Jana St., phone: (+ 48) 12 421 77 87;

- The Wyspiański Pavilion: 2, Wszystkich Świętych Square, phone: (+ 48) 12 616 18 86;

- as well as at the concert venue, where ticket sale will start one hour before the concert.

Those unable to come to the auditions and the gala concert can listen to all these events streamed online on www.radiojazz.fm. 

Between 16th and 18th July, our audience can vote for their favourites at: www.seifertcompetition.com. 

Vote and decide which competitor wins the Audience Award! 

For further information, visit www.seifertcompetition.com and our profile “Seifert-Competition” on Facebook.