BBC Young Jazz Musician returns in 2020 to celebrate the wealth of young talent in UK jazz
Kevin Whitlock
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Following the 2018 edition, won by rising jazz saxophonist Xhosa Cole, the 2020 BBC Young Jazz Musician competition again provides a platform for young jazz performers.
In a continued joint effort to showcase the most talented up-and-coming instrumentalists and singers to audiences across the UK, the biennial BBC Young Jazz Musician Final will be hosted as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival in November, and broadcast on BBC Four.
Entries for the competition are now open, with a deadline in mid-July, and full details on how to apply can be found on the BBC Young Musician website.
From the initial entries, up to 25 semi-finalists will be selected, out of which five young performers will go on to appear at the Final. The finalists will have the opportunity to play with the internationally acclaimed composer-pianist Nikki Yeoh’s group Infinitum, featuring her rhythm section of siblings Michael Mondesir (bass) and Mark Mondesir (drums).
The winner of the 2018 competition was Birmingham saxophonist Xhosa Cole, who went on to be awarded as Jazz Newcomer of the Year in the 2019 Parliamentary Jazz Awards, as well as performing in some of the UK’s most prestigious venues.
Head of BBC Music TV Commissioning Jan Younghusband said: “We are so delighted that we can continue with BBC Young Jazz Musician this year, and give these incredibly talented musicians a platform to perform. Encouraging young talent at this time has never been more important and we are thrilled to partner again with the EFG London Jazz Festival to make this possible.”
BBC Young Musician Executive Editor Paul Bullock added: “It’s a thrill to be providing an opportunity for young British jazz performers to showcase their wonderful talents. The circumstances we are currently experiencing came at a time when UK jazz was enjoying a real renaissance.”
Cole commented: “Winning the 2018 Competition proved to me the power of consistency, sincerity and patience. The award has put my career in fast-forward and I have had so many opportunities since then, it’s hard to list them all. I once heard the quote: ‘When the elevator to success fails, you take the stairs’ and this quote summarises the story for me in a weird way. At the competition I was waiting at the elevator door to see if it would take me onwards and upward, and as luck would have it, it did. Now it’s up to me to get myself together musically and personally – and get to be the player I want to be. But the competition has proved to be an incredible springboard for me – beyond any of my initial dreams.”
BBC Young Jazz Musician 2020 is managed and produced by BBC Studios Music and Entertainment Wales. The final is presented as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival, and the event is supported by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.
For more details, visit: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00bb3wt