Zbigniew Seifert Jazz Violin Competition Draws World’s Greatest Upcoming Violinists To Kracow

Written by | Festivals, News

Source: All About Jazz

The first edition of the International Zbigniew Seifert Jazz Violin Competition will be held from July 16-19, as part of the 19th Summer Jazz Festival in Piwnica pod Baranam in Kracow, Poland.

In addition to commemorating the great Seifert, the organizers of the competition, which is open to entrants from all over the world, hope that it will unearth new violin talent, possibly even another Zbigniew Seifert.

Seifert is widely considered as one of Poland’s most important jazz musicians and one of the world’s best exponents of jazz violin during his all too brief lifetime. Born in Kracow 1946, Seifert first rose to prominence in the quartet of trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, with whom the violinist would record two albums in the early 1970s.

A leader in his own right, Seifert recorded an album of solo violin for EMI in 1976 and went on to record with guitarist John Scofield, bassist Eddie Gomez, drummerJack DeJohnette, saxophonist Michael Brecker and the chamber-jazz group Oregon.

Though only 33 at the time of his death, Seifert’s relatively brief career was marked by numerous high points and it’s a sign of his importance that he continues to influence jazz violinists the world over. Pianist Richie Beirach, who played and recorded with Seifert, describes him as “the source of the modern post-Coltrane violin”, while Oregon’s Glenn Moore hails Seifert as “one of the most inspiring creative people I ever played with”.

The competition brings together ten of the world’s most talented violinists with backgrounds in jazz, classical and improvised music: Eva Slongo (Giovanni Mirabassi, Didier Lockwood); Jason Anick (John Jorgenson}; Klemmens Bittmann (Wolfgang Muthspiel, Radio String Quartet Mahavishnu Project); Bartosz Dworak (Sandwich on the Floor, Mango Collective); Apel les Carod Requesens (Electric Color Orchestra); Łukasz Górewicz (Ecstasy Project); Roman Janoska (Bobby McFerrin, Michel Camilo, Vienna Art Orchestra); Dawid Lubowicz (Opium String Quartet, East Wall Jazz Quartet); Stanislaw Słowiński (Brian Eno, Ben Frost, Daniel Bjarnason); Tomoko Omura (Paquito D’Rivera, Manami Morita, Carte Blanche).

The jury for the competition brings together three exceptional musicians: violinist Mark Feldman, percussionist Prof. Janusz M. Stefanski and bassist Glen Moore. A first prize of 10,000 Euros will be awarded to the winner.

For more details please visit the Zbigniew Seifert Jazz Violin Competition website.
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Last modified: July 10, 2014