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
Applications open again in March 2021
March 15, 2021 – October 15, 2021
JEN Members
Here are some great reasons to apply:
JEN Members
March 15 – September 15
Application Deadline is September 15th 11:59pm EST
JEN Chapter Members
March 15 – September 15
JEN Full Individual Members
April 1 – September 15
Students may enter only one original composition in only one of the categories.
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:
Chosen composers will be notified by Mid November or sooner, if possible.
You will be asked to submit the following materials:
Photo – A photo of yourself.
Bio – Prepare a short 50-word bio in a doc or pdf format
Score – A pdf of your score. File types in any other format will not be accepted.
Audio file – An audio file.
Applications must be received online by 11:59pm (EST) September 15th.
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
Large Group with Vocal Solo
Mind Of Its Own
Lola Indigo Miller-Henline’s passion for the freedom and collaboration of jazz and new music are apparent in her artistry as a singer and composer. She writes music that takes on what it means to be a woman in jazz and unexpected subjects such as climate change, mental health, and politics. Her love of jazz is built on a strong classical training. Some of the world-renowned stages she has performed on including SFJazz, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, and San Francisco Symphony Davis Hall. Her compositions have been performed in venues ranging from the SFJAZZ Miner Auditorium to the Holywell Music room at Oxford. Lola’s music weaves together activism and the human experience. Playing alongside and studying with jazz greats such as Carmen Bradford and Warren Wolf has helped her develop a profound appreciation for the expressivity and individuality of jazz. Other mentors include Theo Bleckmann, Clairdee French, Laurie Antonioli, and Jason Hainsworth. She is due to receive a Bachelor of Music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in their Roots, Jazz, and American Music program in 2023.
Large Instrumental Group
Evading Karmacities
Pianist, composer, and educator Michael Clement connects to his listeners through his outstanding versatility and range of musicianship. In addition to being an award-winning classical and jazz pianist, he is an experienced jazz and media composer.
Clement’s breadth and depth of musicianship has earned him slots in the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Academy, the Boysie Lowery Living Jazz Residency, the Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival, and the American Jazz Pianist Competition. His approach to music and pianism has given him diverse opportunities to perform professionally with the Irving Symphony Orchestra, the Rosana Eckert Quartet, and the seven-time Grammy-nominated University of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band. His playing is featured on the One O’Clock Band’s most recent release, Lab 2019. During his time at the University of North Texas, he was a finalist in the UNT Concerto Competition, and was named the Outstanding Undergraduate Piano Performance Major of the Year.
Clement is currently pursuing a master’s degree in jazz composition and arranging at UNT under the tutelage of Dave Meder and Rich DeRosa. His compositions have been performed by the One O’Clock Lab Band, the Two O’Clock Lab Band, and the U-Tubes (the jazz trombone ensemble).
Large Instrumental Group
Unfinished Business
Kate Vincent is an award-winning composer, vocalist, saxophonist, and educator originally from Laramie, Wyoming. After graduating with her Master’s in Music Composition from Arizona State University in 2019, she taught at Northwest College before deciding to return to Phoenix to pursue a freelance career.
Small Instrumental Group
Dear M
Hatsune Hirakua started playing the piano at the age of four. Under the influence of her father playing wood bass, she began to listen to jazz and studied under Mamoru Motooka. She formed a band from elementary school students and appeared in many events, and in 2013, participated in the final live with the youngest piano in the Kobe Next Jazz Competition.
Now a professional pianist, Hatsune has had many performances with multiple bands in the Osaka and Tokyo area, including as a leader with her trio, Hatsune Hirakura Trio. She has been the pianist for Terri Lyne Carrington’s Berklee summer jazz workshop band in 2016. A recent Japan tour with her trio included guest artist Takuya Kuroda on trumpet. Hatsune has played performances at the Bern jazz festival in Switzerland with drummer Ralph Peterson, and has toured the northeast with saxophonist Melissa Aldana.
Hatsune currently studies jazz composition at the Berklee School of Music.
Click to Meet the 2018 Young Composers and Their Work
Click Here to Meet the 2017 Young Composers and Their Work
Click Here to Meet the 2016 Young Composers and Their Work
Click Here to Meet the 2015 Young Composer and Their Work
Click Here to Meet the 2014 Young Composers and Their Work
Click Here to Meet the 2013 Young Composers and Their Work
Click Here to Meet the JEN Young Composers