Monterey's Next Generation Festival

Monterey Jazz Festival's Next Generation Festival Now Accepting Applications For Next Generation Festival Jazz Competition, April 3 - 5, 2009
Middle School, High School, College, Conglomerate Bands, And Individual Musicians Compete For Trophies, Scholarships, Cash Prizes, And Performance Opportunities At 52nd Annual Monterey Jazz Festival, September 18 - 20, 2009

The Monterey Jazz Festival, a leader in jazz education since its inception in 1958, is pleased to announce the 5th Annual Next Generation Festival, featuring the nation’s most talented middle school, high school, conglomerate, and college jazz musicians and vocalists. The Next Generation Festival, which includes MJF's Next Generation Festival Jazz Competition, will take place in historic downtown Monterey from April 3 - 5, 2009.

The Next Generation Festival is accepting applications from middle school, high school, conglomerate, and college big bands; high school combos and vocal jazz ensembles; and from college vocal jazz ensembles through January 23, 2009. Application forms may be downloaded at the Monterey Jazz Festival’s website, montereyjazzfestival.org. The application process is free, as is entry to the competition.

The three-day event will include performances and competitions, with awards going to the best groups for Middle School, High School, Conglomerate, and College Big Band Divisions; for High School Combos and Vocal Ensembles; and to College Vocal Ensembles. The event also includes the annual Composition Competition, open to high school composers. The top three high school big bands, top high school combo, top conglomerate big band, top college-level big band and vocal ensemble and top two high school vocal ensembles will win cash awards and be invited to perform at the 52nd Annual Monterey Jazz Festival, September 18 - 20, 2009. In total, nine groups from the Next Generation Festival will perform at MJF/52, with the top high school big band kicking off the Arena/Lyons Stage on Sunday, September 20, 2009. Other winning groups will perform in the Night Club, the Garden Stage, and the Coffee House Gallery on the Grounds.

Auditions will also be held for chair positions in the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, which embarks on a yearly tour and is a featured ensemble on the Festival's Sunday, September 20, 2009 afternoon Arena/Lyons Stage program. For MJF/52, the multiple Grammy-winning trumpeter and Pulitzer Prize recipient Wynton Marsalis will perform as a guest soloist with the NGJO.

The Next Generation Festival encompasses the annual National Next Generation Festival Jazz Competition, now in its 39th year. The Competition is open to superior rated big bands, combos, and vocal ensembles. The non-competitive middle school category is open to superior rated big bands. The College Division is open to big bands, with a new college vocal ensemble division category for 2009. “There is no doubt that the Next Generation Festival has become one of the premier international jazz education events of the year,” Said Dr. Rob Klevan, MJF Education Director. “With the addition of the Conglomerate Division for high school and younger students last year, and the new College Vocal Jazz Ensemble Division addition this year, the NGF continues to expand and provide exceptional performance and workshop opportunities for instrumental and vocal jazz music teachers, students, and fans. Monterey will be a very ‘happening’ place next April 3 - 5!”

Next Generation finalists are selected through recorded auditions by faculty from the Berklee College of Music, and will include twelve big bands, six combos, and eight vocal ensembles in the High School Division. Six college-level big bands and six college vocal ensembles will also be selected, in addition to six conglomerate and six middle school big bands.

The Next Generation Festival will also feature special invited groups. In 2008, over fifty groups from across the United States attended the Next Generation Festival, in addition to bands from Japan, the Czech Republic and Australia.

In addition, the Big Band Composition Competition is open to high school student composers. Judged by college faculty from leading music schools across the country, the winning composer will receive the second Gerald Wilson Award and a cash prize, with the winning composition to be performed by the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra at the 52nd Annual Monterey Jazz Festival, September 20, 2009 on the Jimmy Lyons Stage in the Arena before a crowd of 7000 fans.

All Next Generation Festival events - From Friday night's Kick-Off Concert through Saturday and Sunday's Next Generation Festival Jazz Competition, events and activities are open to the public, free of charge. The Festival will also conduct clinics, workshops, jam sessions, and auditions in the heart of the historic Monterey, with music to be performed at the Monterey Conference Center, at the host Portola Plaza Hotel, at Fisherman’s Wharf, and at Monterey Live.

Interested schools and students should visit montereyjazzfestival.org for instructions on how to apply to the Next Generation Festival. Applications with an audition tape/CD should be mailed to: Next Generation Festival, c/o Dr. Rob Klevan, Jazz Education Director, 9699 Blue Larkspur Lane, Suite 204, Monterey, CA, 93940.