Queensland Saxophonist and Composer Rafael Karlen has been nominated for two
Awards at the 2009 Australian Jazz Bell Awards which recognises and encourages excellence in the performance, creativity, recording and presentation of jazz in Australia.
Rafael¹s nominations are in the categories of Best Australian Song of the Year for his composition Driving Hat from the album Driving Hat and a
nomination for the category of Young Australian Jazz Artist of the Year.
Rafael will present the World Premiere of a new composition at this years
Valley Jazz Festival at 2pm on May 16th at the Visy Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse. This new work has been commissioned by Jazz Queensland through
the Q150 Celebrations Community Funding Program and will be performed by the
West End Composers Collective.
Rafael graduated from Griffith University, Queensland Conservatorium of
Music in 2004, with a Bachelor in Contemporary Music Performance in
Saxophone. He received the Griffith Award for Academic Excellence in 2003
and 2004. His teachers in woodwinds have included some of the most renowned
Jazz and Classical teachers in Australia, including Tony Hobbs, Elliott
Dalgleish, Mark Spencer and Ken Stubbs.
As a composer, Rafael has written and performed original compositions and
arrangements for The West End Composers Collective, The Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra, Scott Spark, The Rooftops, the Two Man Band, and the Con Artists Big Band.
The Australian Jazz Bell Awards are in honour of one of the greats of Australian jazz – Graeme Bell, MBE, AO – the Australian Jazz Awards are
informally known as ‘the Bell Awards’.
Nominations for the APRA BEST AUSTRALIAN JAZZ SONG OF THE YEAR are: Rafael Karlen “Driving Hat” from Album: “Driving Hat”
Ken Schroder “Assisi” from Album: “Return Journey”
Johannes Luebbers “Till Death Does me Part” from Album: “Johannes Luebbers
Detect: Make Some Noise”
Nominations for the FENDER KATSALIDIS YOUNG AUSTRALIAN JAZZ ARTIST OF THE
YEAR are:
Jeremy Rose
Johannes Luebbers
Rafael Karlen
