Congratulations to the finalists of the 2013 Freedman Jazz Fellowships, pianist Marc Hannaford; New York based drummer Rajiv Jayaweera; Sydney guitarist and winner of the 2007 National Jazz Guitar Awards Aaron Flower; and 2009 winner of the Bell Award for Young Australian Jazz Artist of the Year, saxophonist Jeremy Rose.
ABOUT THE FINALISTS
Marc Hannaford
Aaron Flower (Guitar, Sydney) is a regular on the Sydney music scene and has performed with jazz greats both here and overseas and in 2007 he won the National Jazz Guitar Award. He plays and records with bands including his own, BAZ, whose last album was shortlisted for the Jazz Bell Award in 2011. That same year he started Yum Yum Tree Records a collective and label which aims to promote music from 2003 – 2010.
Marc Hannaford(Piano, Brisbane) is known as one of the exciting improvising pianists in Australia. His multi-faceted and energetic music combines elements of the American and Australian jazz traditions, South Indian classical music and Flamenco. Marc has released four CDs under his own name and his work has been recognised with awards and nominations.
Rajiv Jayaweera(Drummer, New York based) was born in London of Sri Lankan heritage but grew up in Melbourne. He moved to New York in 2011 to do his Masters in Jazz Studies where he studied with Professor John Riley. He regularly performs at Birdland Jazz Club with The Louis Armstrong Centennial Band and has travelled widely performing at jazz festivals and playing with musicians such as Cyrille Aimee, the Kenny Werner Trio, Gilad Hekselman and Chris Cheek.
Jeremy Rose (Saxophone, Sydney) has played the saxophone at major festivals around Australia, as well as performances in Japan, Norway and Canada. He has studied with top artists around the world and released nine albums of original music with his various projects. He is becoming increasingly known as a composer for ensembles such as Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic, Sirens Big Band and Compass Quartet.
Inaugurated in 2001, the Freedman Music Fellowships, administered by the Music Council of Australia, offers an opportunity for some of Australia’s most talented musicians to further their careers internationally.
The judges for 2013 are three of Australia’s most respected jazz musicians: Andrew Robson, Tim Firth, and Alister Spence.
