JazzSA Superbands

Freedman Fellowship Award nominees - SA rising stars

Generations in Jazz scholarships announced

Superband alumni Emma Simpson Smith has recently won the Generations in Jazz Vocal Scholarship award.

Each finalist performed two pieces of their selection in front of a live audience and a panel of music icons including James Morrison, Megan Washington, John Foreman and Darren Percival – the three latter being previous GIJ scholarship recipients and finalists.

The concert featured the following finalists: Oscar Bruten (Tenor Sax), Cameron Fermoyle (Drums), Holly Forster (Alto Sax and Voice), Abimif Oluwa Onamade (Drums), Thien Pham (Trumpet/Flugelhorn) and Christopher Rozakeas (Trombone) along with vocalists Emma Simpson – Smith, Kaitlyn Chester, Grace Mensforth, Cecilia Dewar and Olivia Dacal.

National Youth Jazz Band June 2022

At the beginning of June, our three South Aussie representatives travelled to Sydney to perform with the National Youth Big Band at the Sydney Con Jazz Festival. Under the direction of Vanessa Perica, they presented a stunning program of compositions that fortunately were recorded so we could all gain an insight into the talents of these prodigious young musicians.

Congratulations Thomas Voss, Jasmine Ferguson and Charlotte Newhouse for being such outstanding musical ambassadors for the state.

2022 WAYJO Composer Residencies Announced

Now entering its fifteenth year, the WA Youth Jazz Orchestra (WAYJO) Composer in Residence program has announced its recipients for 2022.

Congratulations to Thomas Voss (our very own Jazz SA program co-ordinator) who will be their 2022 Composer in Residence, along with 21-year-old Associate Composer Bob Tweedie (WA).

“We were again pleasantly surprised at the quality of applications this year for the 2022 Composer in Residence. Thomas showed us exceptional big band craft and mature writing. Bob showed us interesting and exciting compositional ideas that I am excited to see transferred to big band format. This is an exciting year for this project and I am looking forward to hearing and seeing the results.” WAYJO Artistic Director, Dr Mace Francis.

Thomas is a trombonist and composer/arranger who performs with and writes for a variety of local ensembles, including his own septet and big band. Thomas was selected as the lead trombonist for the 2021 and 2022 Australian National Jazz Orchestra Youth Big Bands, has performed in Adelaide’s 2019 International Jazz Day concert and was the Jazz SA Superbands 2019 Composer in Residence (also serving as the program’s coordinator since 2021). Thomas won the 2017 Carl Fontana Jazz Trombone Competition and was a finalist in the 2017 James Morrison Scholarship.

Pianist Bob Tweedie (WAYJO Member 2018-2022) is a graduating student of the WAAPA jazz course (Hons), and current member of WAYJO’s Wednesday Night Orchestra (WNO). Some notable performances include being featured at the 2021 Perth International Jazz Festival with Sam Forster, as well as alongside some of Perth’s best pianists at the Ellington Jazz Club’s Solo Piano Showcase.

The WNO will record these exciting new works in July at Loop Studios in West Perth. Applications for the WAYJO’s 2023 composer in residence program will open early next year. For more information, visit wayjo.com/composer-in-residence

2022 Australian National Youth Jazz Band announced

The results of the Australian National Jazz Orchestra (ANJO) Youth Big Band auditions have been announced, with current JazzSA Superband member Charlotte Newhouse and alumni Jasmine Ferguson and Thomas Voss joining the ranks for 2022.

67 applications (VIC 19, NSW 21, QLD 8, WA 9, SA 9, TAS 1) were received from elite young jazz musicians from all over Australia aged 18-25. Applicants recorded and submitted notated and improvised excerpts for a ‘blindfold’ audition by judges, which included ANJO Youth Big Band Artistic Directors, Nadje Noordhuis (NY), David Theak (NSW) and Mace Francis (WA), plus 2022 guest conductor/composer Vanessa Perica (VIC).

“I was blown away by the outstanding level of musicianship displayed by those who auditioned from across the country. We have some exciting new voices to watch out for. I can’t wait to work with this talented group in June!” – Vanessa Perica, 2022 ANJO Guest Artist.

ANJO participants travel to Sydney in early June for a 5-day project, including rehearsal intensive, sectionals, festival and club performances, and a video/audio recording for future broadcast. ANJO Youth Big Band has added a November season, which will see the band perform at the Perth International Jazz Festival for the first time, with further concerts to be announced.

Charlotte and Jasmine's ANJO attendance is proudly supported by the Mike Stewart Memorial Fund.

For more information about ANJO, visit australiannationaljazzorchestra.com

Image credits: Claudio Raschelli