Young Composer Showcase
The Young Composer Showcase spotlights young jazz composers, giving students an opportunity to have an original composition recognized and performed at an International level.
JEN membership required to be eligible.
JEN is committed to representing and cultivating diversity in all areas of its operation which includes, but is not limited to its staff, board members, volunteers, presenters, clinicians, performers and audiences. This commitment is present in all programs. We are seeking and encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply for the Young Composer Showcase.
$25 applicaton fee
Click below to access application
General Information
Timeline
Application Requirements
Applications Open!
March 15, 2020 – September 15, 2020
JEN Members
Here are some great reasons to apply:
- ALL entrants will receive written comments from the professional reviewers.
- A total of 4-6 student compositions will be chosen for performance at the JEN Young Composer Showcase Presentation during the annual conference.
- The selected composers will receive a travel stipend to attend the conference and hear a professional performance of their music.
- All YCS winners will also participate in mentoring sessions at the conference with some of the best jazz composers working today!
JEN Members
March 15 – September 15
Application Deadline is September 15th 11:59pm EST
- Application Forms and Criteria are available online until closed.
- Application requires JEN membership and payment of a $25 Application Fee in order to be considered.
- If you are a student in financial need, you can ask an advocate to send a letter on your behalf requesting to waive the application fee.
Email: support@jazzednet.orgSubject line: Request to waive Young Composer Showcase Application Fee
- If you are a student in financial need, you can ask an advocate to send a letter on your behalf requesting to waive the application fee.
- Awards will be presented at the Annual JEN Conference.
- Notification to chosen composers as applicable as early as November 1.
- Previous year’s selected composers are ineligible to participate.
JEN Chapter Members
March 15 – September 15
JEN Full Individual Members
April 1 – September 15
- JEN membership. Current Membership in JEN is required in order to complete the application process. Not a member? Click to JOIN JEN prior to attempting to pay the application fee or to complete the application form. You may join as a JEN Full Individual, eJEN, or yJEN (if age is applicable) member.
- Prepare your materials to complete the application process.
- Apply. Complete the JEN Young Composer Showcase Application Form.
- $25 Application Fee – An invoice will be sent to your email upon completion of the application form.
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If you are a student in financial need, you can ask an advocate to send a letter on your behalf requesting to waive the fee.Email: office@jazzednet.orgSubject line: Request to waive Young Composer Showcase Application Fee
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- Your completed application and files will be submitted to the review committee upon receipt of payment.
Participation Rules
- Each composer must be a fully enrolled student throughout the academic school year at the time of application.
- Prepare your application materials PRIOR to submitting the Young Composer Showcase Application Form.
Applications must be received online by 11:59pm (EST) September 15th.
Age Group Categories
- Group 1 – MS/HS (ages 14 through 18) as of September 1st in the current year application is being made.
- Group 2 – Undergraduate (age 18 and above) as of September 1st, in the year application is being made and enrolled as an undergraduate student for a minimum of six semester hours.
- Group 3 – Graduate (age 21) and above as of September 1st, in the year application is being made and enrolled as a graduate student for a minimum of six semester hours.
- Group 4 – Post-Graduate (age 21-30 as of September 1st, in the year application is being made and has completed graduation from an accredited college or university graduate-level music program.
Composition Categories
Students may enter only one original composition in only one of the categories.
- Small Instrumental Group (2 to 9 instruments, maximum 6 minutes in length)
- Large Instrumental Group (10 instruments and above, maximum 6 minutes in length)
- Instrumental Group with vocal solo (maximum 3.5 minutes in length)
- Vocal Group (4 – 8 voices a cappella or with rhythm section, maximum 3.5 minutes in length)
Composition Description
Compositions submitted for the Showcase are expected to be in a jazz or jazz-related style.
Composition, by definition herein, implies an original work. (Arrangements of other copyrighted works are not eligible for submission).
Instrumentation may be varied, small to large, to include any combination of the following:
- 5 Saxophones (AATTB or SATTB – Baritone has the low A.)
- 4 Trumpets (Flugelhorns optional choice)
- 4 Trombones (one of which is a bass trombone)
- Piano, Bass, Drums and Guitar (standard equipment and amplifiers provided)
- 8 Voices (SATB, individually mic’d)
- Up to 3 additional Latin Percussionists
Percussion instruments available for use and provided by JEN for the conference performance will include: 1 vibraphone; 1 set of congas; 1 set of timbales
Additional Latin instruments become the responsibility of the composer.
Conference Attendance
Chosen composers will be notified by Mid November or sooner, if possible.
- Selected works may be performed at the Annual JEN Conference.
- Composers whose works are selected for performance at the upcoming annual conference are EXPECTED TO ATTEND.
- A travel/housing stipend will be awarded to each selectee.
- From the stipend, JEN will book each selectee’s travel and housing.
- Award selectees under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a chaperone.
- A complimentary conference registration badge will be given each selected composer, plus one additional conference badge for the legal chaperone accompanying a student under the age of 18 at conference time.
- Additional Chaperone Registration badges may be purchased online under the Registration tab under Conference as needed, once accepted.
- Applicants wishing to bring a spouse will be expected to purchase a Spouse/Partner Registration for the conference and cover the additional cost of housing for their spouse.
- The Jazz Education Network reserves all rights of use to any Young Composer Showcase audio and/or video content recorded at the conference, solely for not-for-profit promotional purposes with the JEN organization & initiatives.
Preparing Materials for Submission
You will be asked to submit the following materials:
Photo – A photo of yourself.
- File should be print quality (high).
- File types accepted include: jpg, gif, and png.
- Label your photo file as follows: LastNameFirstNameJENYCSPhoto
Bio – Prepare a short 50-word bio in a doc or pdf format
- Label your Bio as follows: LastNameFirstNameJENYCSBio
Score – A pdf of your score. File types in any other format will not be accepted.
- Do NOT upload parts. Parts will be asked for at a later date.
- Label your score files as follows: LastNameFirstNameJENYCSScore
Audio file – An audio file.
- File types accepted include: MP3, OGG, M4A, WMA, WAV, AAC, FLAC
- Label your audio files as follows:LastNameFirstNameJENYCSAudio
Submission Details
Applications must be received online by 11:59pm (EST) September 15th.
- JEN Membership is required.
2. Complete the Young Composer Showcase Application.
3. Be advised that your application is only complete once the $25 fee is paid.
Your application and files will be submitted to the Young Composers Showcase committee upon receipt of payment.
Have questions? Please contact me!
Dr. Ryan Middagh, Young Composer Showcase Coordinator
support@jazzednet.org
2020 Young Composer Showcase Selectees
Works were performed at the 2020 conference in New Orleans, Louisiana
by The U.S. Navy Band Commodores
Click to download a PDF of 2020 Young Composer Showcase Selectees
2020 Young Composer Showcase Selectee
Annie Booth
University of Colorado
Large Group Composition
Jolly Beach
Annie Booth is an award-winning pianist, composer, and educator based in Denver, CO. She is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Jazz Performance and Pedagogy at the Thompson Jazz Studies Program at the University of Colorado.
2020 Young Composer Showcase Selectee
Eri Chichibu
Berklee College of Music
Small Group Composition
The Sea – Seven Years Voyage
Japanese composer/arranger/pianist/keyboardist, Eri Chichibu, majors in Jazz Composition and Film Scoring at Berklee College of Music. She studies Jazz Composition under Greg Hopkins, Bob Pilkington, and Ayn Inserto. Her works were selected for the 2019 ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award and the 2019 ISJAC Symposium presentation.
2020 Young Composer Showcase Selectee
Philip Ryan Goss
New England Conservatory
Large Group Composition
Untitled No. 1
Philip Ryan Goss is a composer, arranger, and educator currently residing in Boston, MA, having completed his Master’s in Jazz Composition at New England Conservatory where he studied with Ken Schaphorst and Frank Carlberg. Ryan’s music draws inspiration from poetry, literature, visual art, and cosmic phenomena.
2020 Young Composer Showcase Selectee
Maya Karen
Princeton University
Small Group Composition
Wyndmoor
Maya Keren is a pianist and composer from Philadelphia currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Music at Princeton University. Recognized by the National YoungArts Foundation for her musicianship, Keren has studied at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Summer Jazz Academy and the Kimmel Center Creative Music Program under Anthony Tidd.
2020 Young Composer Showcase Selectee
Nathan Poehlke
University of Oregon
Large Group Composition
Feeling Sleepy
Nathan Poehlke is a jazz guitarist, composer, and graduate employee at the University of Oregon. He has performed at numerous jazz festivals (Reno Jazz Festival, Roseville Jazz Festival), is a masterclass clinician for the Oregon Jazz Festival, and a combo coach for the University of Oregon Jazz Camp.
2020 Young Composer Showcase Selectee
Andrew Saliba
San Diego, California
Small Group Composition
Silent Minority
Andrew Saliba is a guitarist and composer from San Diego, CA. Based in Kalamazoo, he regularly performs throughout Michigan and the Chicagoland area. A winner of multiple Downbeat Magazine Student Music Awards as both a composer and soloist, Andrew is also part of the Downbeat award- winning group Lushh.
2020 Young Composer Showcase Selectee
Gabriel Severn
Small Group Composition
Canção Para Fina
Gabriel Severn has been playing bass, performing, and composing since he was 7, had the honor of winning five DownBeat Student Music Awards, recorded with some of his favorite jazz artists, and his tunes have been played on radio worldwide. He performs as a soloist and with his jazz fusion band, Teen Town.
HONORABLE MENTION
Paulo Santos
University of Texas, Austin
Small Group Composition
Twisted Voyage
Paulo is a current 3rd year Undergraduate Jazz major at UT Austin in the Butler School of Music. He studies saxophone and composition with Dr. John Mills, and plays in the Jazz Orchestra under Professor Jeffrey Hellmer, and the Jazz Composers Ensemble, AIME, under Professor John Fremgen.
HONORABLE MENTION
John Sturino
New York, New York
Large Group Composition
Tip City
John Sturino is a drummer, vibraphonist, and writer currently living in New York City. A graduate of the University of North Texas, Sturino studied with Ed Soph and Rich DeRosa. A former member of One O’Clock Lab Band, Sturino graduated as the Outstanding Graduate Student in Jazz Studies in 2019.
HONORABLE MENTION
Yoko Suzuki
Berklee College of Music
Large Group Composition
Cat Tricks
Yoko Suzuki graduated the Kunitachi College of Music in 2017 and studied jazz piano under Mr. Makoto Ozone. Currently enrolled in Berklee College of Music, majoring jazz composition and performance. Recently, selected to the honorable mention in 2019 ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award.
2019 Young Composer Showcase Selectees
- Bryann Kennard, University of Miami – “Let The Wild Rumpus Start”
- Martina Liviero, Berklee College of Music – “Pasajeros”
- Brian Martin, University of Massachussetts – “Lookin’ Forward”
- Sam Ross, University of Michigan – “Portuguese Bend”
- Jameson Scriver, Indiana University – “The Good Fight”
- Elliot Turner, University of Northern Colorado – “What Are You?”
- Tracy Yang, Berklee College of Music – “Yes and No”
- HONORABLE MENTION Ethan Moffitt, University of Southern California – “Step by Step”
2018 Young Composer Showcase Selectees
Click to Meet the 2018 Young Composers and Their Work
- Lucas Fonseca, Berklee College of Music – “Colloquio”
- Takumi Kakimoto, Berklee College of Music – “Find Phrygiayn”
- Kyle Myers, University of North Texas – “Tomorrow Morning”
- Zachary Rich, University of Northern Colorado – “Community”
- David Rogers, Vanderbilt University – “Sivan”
- Gregory Weis, University of Northern Colorado – “Liquid Descent”
2017 Young Composer Showcase Selectees
Click Here to Meet the 2017 Young Composers and Their Work
- Aida Demoya, Berklee College of Music – “TC For Leo”
- Anna Jelkéus, University of North Texas – “Above”
- Heui Lam, Berklee College of Music – “The Unknown Bell”
- Tobias Meissl, Berklee College of Music – “Deep Tree Fission”
- Chang Su, University of Northern Colorado – “Forbidden City Garden”
- Casio Vianna, University of Northern Colorado – “For The Rise Of A New Day”
- Luca Mendoza, LA Philharmonic – Honorable Mention
2016 Young Composer Showcase Selectees
Click Here to Meet the 2016 Young Composers and Their Work
- Mike Conrad, University of Northern Colorado – “Gerry’s Timepiece”
- Andrew D. Herring, Shenandoah University – “27”
- Nacho González Nappa, Berklee College of Music – “Candombe Juno”
- Matt Shugert, Indiana University – “Madeline”
2015 Young Composer Showcase Selectees
Click Here to Meet the 2015 Young Composer and Their Work
- Tom Amend, University of Northern Colorado – “What Do You Say?”
- Keith Karns, University of North Texas- “The House At The End Of High Street”
- Chase Morrin, Harvard/NEC – “Three Brahmin”
- Drew Zaremba, University of North Texas – “Blues For Gabe”
2014 Young Composer Showcase Selectees
Click Here to Meet the 2014 Young Composers and Their Work
- Lucas Apostleris, University of Massachusetts – “September Again”
- Enrico Bergamini, Berklee College of Music – “Convergence”
- Raphael DeLima, Frost School of Music (University of Miami) – “Quebra Cabeças”
- C. Tyler Dennis, San Francisco, California – “What Would Thad Do?”
- Aaron Hedenstrom, University of North Texas – “Honeybee”
2013 Young Composer Showcase Selectees
Click Here to Meet the 2013 Young Composers and Their Work
- Carter Brodkorb, Toronto, Canada
- Jose Gurria, USC
- Laila Smith, San Jose, California
- Dave Stamps, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
2012 Young Composer Showcase Selectees
Click Here to Meet the JEN Young Composers
- Socrates Garcia, University of Northern Colorado
- Brett McDonald, Rutgers University
- Emily Merrell, University of North Texas
- Tyler Mire, University of North Texas
- Chase Morrin, Harvard University/New England Conservatory
- Kate Skinner, University of Northern Colorado