20th Young Jazz Musician Competition

Purpose and Subject

The purpose of the “Young Jazz Musician” competition organized by Nardis Jazz Club is to help young people who are involved in music professionally or as amateurs in Turkey to develop in the field of jazz, make their voices heard, and encourage them to take part on international stages.

After the live final evaluation at Nardis Jazz Club on May 5, 2025;

1 contestant will earn the right to perform at the 31st Istanbul Jazz Festival, 1 contestant at the 34th Akbank Jazz Festival, 1 contestant at the 28th Ankara Jazz Festival, and 2 contestants will earn recording rights at PÜR Recording Studio.

Additional honorable mention awards will be announced and given at the end of the competition.

Selection

Musicians participating in the “Young Jazz Musician” Selections must apply to Nardis Jazz Club as specified in these specifications. Evaluations will be made through a two-stage selection process based on these applications. Among the applications submitted in the first stage, those determined by the selection committee will be invited to the performance selections in the second stage. Jazz musicians who are found successful by the selection committee after the evaluation concert, which will be open to the public and consist of live performances by the candidates, will receive the awards explained above.

Participation Requirements

1. Musicians must not be older than 30 years of age as of January 1, 2025,
2. Candidates must be Turkish citizens,
3. Application files and demo recordings must be submitted via email (focan@nardisjazz.com) by Monday, April 21, 2025 evening.
4. Candidates’ application files must include;
5. Demo recordings in MP3 format,
   1. [This demo should include pieces in 3 different styles that can be classified as jazz (swing, latin, blues, funk, etc.)]
   2. Short biography, phone number and email addresses must be included.

All applicants are deemed to have fully accepted the provisions in these specifications. Submitted application files and demo recordings will not be returned.

Required Qualities in Demos to be Submitted

1. Only applications in classical / contemporary jazz and its sub-disciplines, blues, contemporary genres with blues and jazz interaction (for example; jazz-fusion, jazz-rock, jazz funk, soul, acid-jazz, latin jazz, pop-jazz, groove, electronic jazz, urban, r&b, jazz-blues etc.) will be evaluated in the selections. Applications outside of jazz and its derivatives will not be evaluated.
2. The demos, preliminary selections, and repertoire to be performed in the finals may consist of candidates’ original compositions or reinterpretations of existing works.
3. The submitted demo must be in MP3 format.
4. Demo recordings must consist of 3 pieces.

Selection Committee

Selection Committee members who will make the evaluation;

• Bulut Gülen – Musician
• Cem Tuncer – Musician
• Gözde Sıvışoğlu – Akbank Jazz
• Hakan Tüfekçi – Radio Host
• Harun İzer – Istanbul Jazz Festival Director
• Kaan Bıyıkoğlu – Musician
• Önder Focan – Musician
• Özlem Kaşlıoğlu – Pür Studio
• Özlem Oktar Varoğlu – Ankara Jazz Festival Director
• Sıtkı Sırtanadolu – Musician
• Sedat Ergin – Journalist
• Sibel Köse – Musician
• Şenova Ülker – Musician

Nardis Jazz Club may appoint another person of its choice as a selection committee member in case any Selection Committee member withdraws from membership or cannot participate in committee activities.

Evaluation

1. The application deadline is Monday, April 21, 2025.
2. Demo recordings of jazz musicians who have submitted their applications by April 21, 2025 will be listened to by the Selection Committee, and the ten most successful applications will be invited to the evaluation concert by taking the average of each jury member’s evaluation for each contestant. The announcement regarding this invitation will be published on Nardis’s website and will be directly communicated to the relevant participants.
3. The evaluation concert will be held at Nardis Jazz Club on Monday, May 5, 2025, open to audiences. Musicians invited to the evaluation concert will perform two pieces of their choice accompanied by a trio determined by the club in front of the audience and selection committee. The order of stage appearance will be determined by drawing lots.
4. Following the evaluation concert, the selection committee will select and announce the finalists who have earned the right to participate in the “Young Jazz Musician” concerts.

Awards

• 1 contestant will perform at the 32nd Istanbul Jazz Festival,
• 1 contestant at the 35th Akbank Jazz Festival
• 1 contestant at the 29th Ankara Jazz Festival.
• 2 contestants will earn the right to record one piece each at PÜR Recording Studio.

Additionally, various honorable mentions such as jazz club performances and radio program appearances will be awarded to contestants deemed appropriate.

Technical Requirements

Musicians will be provided with the opportunity to rehearse with their accompanying group at Nardis at a pre-determined time before the competition. Those participating from outside Istanbul are responsible for their own transportation and accommodation expenses.

Contact Information

Nardis Jazz Club
Galata Kulesi Sokak No. 8
Kuledibi- Istanbul
0212-2446327
www.nardisjazz.com
focan@nardisjazz.com