Young Australian composer and APRA Award winner Mace Francis has won the Original Free Compositions section of the the international composition and arrangement award for jazz orchestra Scrivere in Jazz 2004 for his composition DUHKHA
Scrivere in Jazz is an international competition in composition and arrangement for jazz orchestra organised by Orchestra Jazz della Sardegna (a part of the Blue Note Orchestra association) is now in its eighth edition this year.
The competition is open to musicians from around the world and is divided into three sections:
Section A: Music based upon or inspired by ethnic music from Sardinia
Section B: Original free compositions
Section C: Music for images
Since 1991 hundreds of musicians from all over the world (Australia, Austria, Argentina, France, Canada, Germany, USA, Mexico, Great Britain, Finland, Norway, Spain, Portugal, Italy) have taken part in the competition with music written for a very unusual combination of instruments: Flute, 2 Alto saxophones (optional Clarinet), 2 Tenor saxophones (optional Clarinet), 1 Baritone saxophone, 4 Trumpets, 2 French horns, 2 Trombones, 1 Bass trombone, Piano, Guitar, Double bass(optional 6 strings electric bass), drums.
The compositions were examined by a selecting commission, formed by some of the most authoritative Italian and foreign jazz-musicians (Paolo Fresu, Giorgio Gaslini, David Linx, Colin Towns, Pietro Sassu, Kenny Wheeler, Mathies Ruegg, Mario Raja, Bruno Tommaso, Luigi Giannatempo, Marco Tiso, Roberto Spadoni, Maria Pia De Vito are just a few of the names that have participated in the judging panels in previous years).
Six to nine pieces are admitted to the final phase of the competition.
Mace’s win follows his APRA Fellowship awarded last year, which took him to Europe, where he met with Bob Brookmeyer.
