Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education

Dakota Foundation/ Schubert Club Announce the Sixth Annual Jazz Piano Competition

Young jazz pianists will again compete for $2000 in scholarships sponsored by the Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education and The Schubert Club. The Sixth Annual Jazz Piano Scholarship Competition, open to students in grades 9–12, rewards excellence among students of America's great indigenous art form. Applications (including an audio recording) are due by 4:30 pm on April 16th. Up to three finalists will perform before a panel of judges and live audience at the Dakota Jazz Club on Sunday afternoon, 2pm, May 16th. In addition to the scholarships, the finalists will have an opportunity to perform through programs sponsored by the Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education (DFJE) or Schubert Club (such as on the stage of the Dakota Jazz Club, on the DFJE Student Stage of the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, and/or a Schubert Club Court Room Series concert).

The Jazz Piano Competition was inaugurated in 2005 with the awarding of three $500 scholarships: The Marie Froelich Memorial Award, The Jane Matteson Memorial Award, and The David Paulus Memorial Award. In the fifth competition last spring, three finalists were each awarded $500 scholarships—Joe Strachan of Northfield, Chris Misa of Minneapolis, and Cody Peterson of Stillwater. Following their final performances at the Dakota Jazz Club, Joe Strachan was awarded the additional $500 Performance Scholarship. Last year’s finalists performed on Peavy Plaza in July during an afternoon of music sponsored by Orchestra Hall and the DFJE. All seniors, the finalists are now in their first year of music studies in college--Joe at the Lawrence University Conservatory, Chris at DuPaul University, and Cody at the U of M. Past scholarship winners have gone on to the Brubeck Institute, Manhattan School of Music, Stanford University, Oberlin and more.

The Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education (DFJE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing jazz and education together. Originated in 1997 by Dakota Jazz Club co-owner Lowell Pickett and benefactor, the late Jane Matteson, DFJE provides jazz education and performance opportunities that encourage an understanding, appreciation and enthusiasm for jazz among young audiences and blooming musicians. Clinics are provided by some of the world’s best musicians and give young bands and musicians the opportunity to perform with and learn from the masters. In 2006, our student jazz community enjoyed visits from Los Angeles area high school musicians through the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Studies’ Peer to Peer Jazz Education program, including clinics in schools throughout the Twin Cities and performance with alto sax titan Bobby Watson at the Dakota.

Sixth Annual Jazz Piano Competition&xopy;Andrea Canter

In fall 2006, the Dakota Foundation and MacPhail Center for Music joined together to sponsor the first-ever Dakota Combo, our own Twin Cities ensemble of high school all-stars. The Combo has performed at the Dakota Jazz Club with guest artists Bobby Watson (2006), Delfeayo Marsalis (2007), Irvin Mayfield (2008) and Tia Fuller (2009); at the Twin Cities' winter and summer jazz festivals, at the MacPhail Center for Music, and other events. The Foundation has also sponsored the student stage at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival and student clinics each December for the past four years. Each spring, the Foundation awards dic organizations scholarships to support students in their jazz camp programs.

The Schubert Club is a long-standing St. Paul organization dedicated to the promotion and performance of classical music. Their annual International Concert series is well-known for its roster of the very finest classical musicians and ensembles. Additionally, the Schubert Club hosts small series of concerts throughout the year and, through several scholarship programs, promotes the education and performance opportunities for future professional musicians.

In 2005, the Schubert Club and The Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education awarded Felix James the first Jane Matteson Award for notable contribution to the local jazz community and/or jazz education. The second award was presented in January 2007 to renowned jazz broadcaster Leigh Kamman.

The Scholarship Competition

2009 finalists and judges©Andrea Canter

Young jazz pianists enrolled in a high school (grade 9-12) program or equivalent as of May 16, 2010, are encouraged to complete the application for this competition. Competitors must submit an audio CD containing three jazz tunes of their choosing to the Schubert Club Office by 4:30 pm on April 16th. A panel of judges will blindly evaluate the recorded performances and rank competitors to select up to three finalists, who will be notified by April 26th. The finalists (each of whom will be awarded one of the $500 scholarships) will compete before a panel of celebrity judges and a live audience at the Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant on Sunday, May 16, 2010 from 2:00 - 4:00 pm. (All applicants must be available to perform at the Dakota on May 16th.) Judges will provide their critiques to the audience and finalists after each performer. The Performance Scholarship winner ($500) will be announced at the end of the competition.

Rules: Highlights

Literature. Three jazz songs; the selected songs can be whole or partial compositions, jazz standards, self-composed works or improvised.

Performance. For the submitted sound recording, the three songs may be solo, accompanied or a mix of solo and accompanied, at the competitor’s discretion, but at least one song must be a solo. For Finals performances, the competitors must perform the same three songs that they submitted on their sound recording; at least one piece must performed solo and at least one piece must be played with the provided ensemble (a drummer and bassist). It is strongly recommended that performers choose pieces of contrasting style and tone.

Performance time. Submitted sound recording should be no longer than 30 minutes total. Finals performances will be limited to 20 minutes.

Sound recording requirements. Competitors must submit a sound recording of the three jazz songs. Recording must be in CD format. Video recordings are not accepted. Label the outside of the CD with your name. Do not put your name on the CD itself. Your submitted CD will not be returned. Sound recordings must be no longer than 30 minutes in length. Recordings of each song must be of the complete song and the recording of each song cannot be edited in any way. Songs intended to be performed with bass and drum accompaniment at Finals do not have to be recorded with accompaniment for purposes of the sound recording. Applicant must attest that the submitted sound recording is of the applicant’s piano performance and that the songs have not been edited in any way. Submission of the recording of any other piano player or an edited recording will result in immediate disqualification.

For a rule sheet and complete application information, please see The Schubert Club website: www.schubert.org/jazz. For questions and further information please contact Jason Kudrna at The Schubert Club, (651) 292-3267.