Watermill Jazz presents 47 quality jazz gigs a year in Dorking, Surrey. To continue our support for young jazz musicians and composers, we are delighted to announce the

Watermill Jazz Young Composers Award 2012

offered in association with the National Youth Jazz Collective.

The award consists of 2 cash prizes for wholly original jazz compositions written for Jazz Octet (trumpet, trombone, alto sax, tenor sax, baritone sax, piano, bass and drums).

1st Prize £500
2nd Prize £250

Applicants must be 18 years of age or under on the 30th September 2012. The finalists must be able to attend a rehearsal in Dorking, Surrey from 10am on 13th September 2012 followed by an evening gig at which their works will be performed by members of the National Youth Jazz Collective, led by the Collective’s Founder and Artistic Director, Issie Barratt and pianist and composer Nikki Iles.
The winners will be interviewed about their compositions and the evening will conclude with a second performance of the winning 2 entries.

Means tested travel bursaries will be available. Finalists under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.  Applicants aged 16 and under can also apply to have their chaperone’s travel costs covered.

The closing date for entries is 13th July 2012

The judging panel will consist of jazz composers/educators Issie Barratt and Nikki Iles and Watermill Jazz Chairman Roger Hind.

The shortlisted compositions will be rehearsed at the University of East Anglia (UEA) during the National Youth Jazz Collective’s Summer School in August 2012.

Each composer should submit one composition arranged for jazz octet (trumpet, trombone, alto sax, tenor sax, baritone sax, piano, bass and drums) which should last between 5 and 10 minutes in performance and should allow space for improvised solos from chord symbols etc

Entries should comprise of:

• A fully completed entry form (please click here to download)
• A fully notated score for all instruments – handwritten or in Sibelius or pdf format
• An audio rendition of the piece (in MIDI, wav, mp3 or CD format).

Entries must be the applicant’s own work and will not be returned.

If you need clarification on any aspect of your entry, please email Roger Hind at youngcomposers@watermilljazzz.co.uk.

The judges’ decision is final and Watermill Jazz reserves the right to alter the conditions of the award.

Watermill Jazz would like to thank the PRSF and Jazz Services for supporting this award.