The Music Trust today announced the three finalists for the prestigious 2016 Freedman Jazz Fellowship, Australia’s premier award for excellence in jazz. This year’s contenders for the annual scholarship are drummer James McLean and pianists Joe O’Conner and Luke Sweeting.
The finalists will now have the opportunity to compete for the $20,000 cash prize in a live performance ‘play-off’ at Freedman Jazz at the Sydney Opera House.
The judges, distinguished jazz musician/composers Stu Hunter, Laurence Pike and Brendan Clarke selected the three finalists from a group of 16 national candidates.
Drummer James McLean has proposed to use the Fellowship award to establish five new duos with distinguished Australian artists. Their work will be compiled into an album and released. Collaborating artists would be Simon Barker (drums), Chris Hale (electric bass), Andrea Keller (piano), Gian Slater (vocal), and Scott Tinkler (trumpet).
National Jazz Award winner and Bell Young Artist of the Year recipient, pianist Joe O’Conner plans to develop a work titled Antique Dance as a collaboration between two contemporary dancers and his trio. The festival work would broaden the reach of O’Connor’s music, emphasizing hybrid art forms while providing an opportunity for O’Connor to develop as a producer.
Luke Sweeting, Dennis Griffin Masters of Music Scholar, plans on enhancing his career through the Fellowship by leading his Grey Wing Trio on a tour to Europe in 2017. The award would fund an international pathway for Sweeting, consolidating networks made over the previous two years.
Freedman Jazz will be held at 7:30pm on Monday 1 of August
The Studio, Sydney Opera House
Tickets: $45/$38/$25 Bookings
