2022 DC Jazz Festival Now Accepting Applications For Annual DC JazzPrix Competition
2022 DCJazzPrix™ Application Launches!
DC Jazz Festival’s international band competition will soon be accepting applications —
Recognizing the top rising jazz ensemble talent from around the globe.
WASHINGTON – January 11, 2022 – The DC Jazz Festival® (DCJF) has announced that applications go live tomorrow Wednesday, January 12, for its annual international jazz band competition, DCJazzPrix. Potential applicants will find guidelines and submission requirements at dcjazzfest.org/dcjazzprix. The entry fee remains a modest $25 per band.
“DCJazzPrix is unique in that it aims to identify and showcase emerging and exceptional jazz band talent from an international perspective,” said Sunny Sumter, DCJF CEO, adding “DCJazzPrix is designed to help launch and further promote the careers of emerging jazz ensembles who are committed to sustained and creative band development and performance opportunities.”
The co-winners of the 2021 DCJazzPrix, Giveton Gelin Quintet and Dayramir Gonzalez & Habana enTRANCé, each won a $15,000 cash prize and both will perform at the 2022 DC JazzFest at The Wharf on one of the main stages.
Different from other competitions, DCJazzPrix recognizes the essential interactions between band members as the core pursuit of the jazz aesthetic. Bands must be comprised of 2-9 members and each band member must be at least 18 years old, but not older than 45, as of April 1, 2022. The application deadline is Thursday, March 31 at 11:59 pm ET. Additional eligibility requirements include:
- Bands may combine any instrumentation including conventional jazz strings and winds formats and/or percussion, voice(s), and technology.
- Bands must show clear evidence as a functioning, performing ensemble for at least three consecutive years prior to time of application: groups should not establish a band with the purpose of competing in the DCJazzPrix.
- Should the band be selected as a finalist, each band member is required to compete in-person in Washington, DC during the 2022 DC JazzFest.
- Applicant bands may be affiliated or housed within music school departments or may be categorized as “stand-alone/self-contained” and/or professionally emerging ensembles, so long as they meet all of the entry criteria.
- Band personnel stability is stressed: band personnel may not change once the application is submitted
The DCJazzPrix winner is awarded a $15,000 cash prize along with a year-long association with the DC Jazz Festival organization that includes extensive public exposure, technical assistance, personalized career development services; and a paid engagement to perform on the main stage at the 2023 DC JazzFest.
A prestigious jury evaluates eligible applications based on artistic excellence and artistic merit. At the end of the evaluation period, three finalist bands will be announced and invited to Washington, DC to compete in the DCJazzPrixFinals, part of 18th Annual DC JazzFest.
DCJazzPrix is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Leonard and Elaine Silverstein Family Foundation; and the DCJazzPrix award thanks to Peter Gillon and the Galena-Yorktown Foundation.
The DC JazzFest continues to provide enriching and entertaining jazz performances for audiences of all backgrounds. For more information about the DC Jazz Festival, a nonprofit service organization, and the rest of our year-round programs, please visit www.dcjazzfest.org.
ABOUT THE DC JAZZ FESTIVAL: DC Jazz Festival presents world-renowned and emerging artists in celebration of jazz; unifies diverse communities; advances jazz and music education with exciting and adventurous musical experiences; shines the spotlight on DC-based musicians; and highlights DC as a premier cultural destination. Our signature programs are the annual DC JazzFest, DC’s largest jazz festival, recognized as a world-class event; DCJF Education in partnership with DC public and charter schools and arts centers; the Charles Fishman Embassy Series honoring our founder; and the DCJazzPrix international band competition. DC Jazz Festival won the DC Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence in Creative Industries. The New York Times named DC JazzFest one of “50 Essential Summer Festivals.” www.dcjazzfest.org
Source: Lydia Liebman Promotions
