Inaugural DCJazzPrix Officially Launches
DC Jazz Festival’s new national competition now accepting applications;
Will recognize and support top rising jazz band talent
WASHINGTON – January 7, 2016 — The DC Jazz Festival® (DC JazzFest) – which recently announced the launch of its national jazz band competition, DCJazzPrix – has now issued a Call for Applications, live at dcjazzprix.org. Potential applicants will find guidelines, including eligibility, review criteria, terms, and digital submission requirements for the application, which will close on March 4 at 5 pm ET. The entry fee is $49 per band.
“The DCJazzPrix is unique in that it aims to identify and showcase emerging and exceptional jazz band talent from across the U.S.,” said Sunny Sumter, Executive Director “The event is designed to help launch and promote the careers of emerging jazz artists committed to sustained and creative band development and performance opportunities.”
Providing a unique professional performance and adjudication platform for jazz bands that is outside of the traditional academic or commercial competition arenas is at the core of the DCJazzPrix’s mission. The competition strives to provide an opportunity for applicants that most competitively address the stated review criteria.
Among the criteria for applying is that bands must be comprised of 2-9 members, with all of them currently residing in the United States or its territories. Each band member must be at least 18 years old, but not older than 40. Additional eligibility requirements include:
· Bands can combine any instrumentation including conventional jazz strings and winds formats and/or percussion, voice, and technology.
· Membership of the band may not change once the application is submitted.
· Each member is required to compete in Washington, DC, should the band be chosen as a semi-finalist.
· Applicant bands may be affiliated or housed within music school departments, or be categorized as “stand-alone/self-contained” and/or professionally emerging.
In addition to adding a bold new element to the DC Jazz Festival, the competition offers a tremendous exposure opportunity to perform at a national festival. The winner will also be awarded a $15,000 cash prize and a year-long association with the DC Jazz Festival to include: extensive publicity; business support and career navigation services; and a main stage 2017 DC Jazz Festival paid engagement.
Once the application process closes in March, a prestigious jury will evaluate eligible applications based on artistic excellence and artistic merit.
On April 15, 2016, three semi-finalists will be announced and invited to Washington, DC to participate in the DCJazzPrix Finals, in front of a main stage crowd at DC JazzFest at The Yards on Saturday, June 18.