Jazz Competition Winners Concert - Jan 28, 2018

Performances by the Winners of the 1st High School Competition in Solo Jazz

This year, in early January, The Musical Club of Hartford held its 1st annual scholarship jazz solo competition for high school students living or studying music in Connecticut. This is the first of its kind in Connecticut! The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will perform in a jazz cabaret setting accompanied by a professional jazz trio. The professional trio will also perform a set separately from the students, to round out the one-hour concert.

The scholarship prizes are awarded from the Jolidon Fund, named for Marjorie Jolidon, who left a share of her estate to the Musical Club.

Come to support these wonderfully talented musicians and to listen to a free concert with live professional jazz! Admission is free!

Jazz Competition Winners

1st Place winner: Lucas Gazianis

Concert performance pieces: Corcovado -Antonio Carlos Jobim, Night Train - Jimmy Forrest, Stolen Moments - Oliver Nelson

The First Place winner in the Musical Club of Hartford’s High School First Jazz Soloist Competition is pianist Lucas Gazianis, a sophomore at Greenwich High School. He studies with Joyce DiCamillo. He performs with the Greenwich High School Jazz Ensemble, Wind Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble, and has been accepted by audition into the Western Region Jazz Ensemble, and Concert Band, for the past 2 years. Last year he was accepted into the Ct All State Jazz Ensemble. Additionally, last year he received the ‘Outstanding Soloist’ award at the Essentially Ellington Festival in Greenwich, as well as the Darien Jazz Festival. He has also performed with Joyce DiCamillo’s JAZZ ALIVE Combo, and participated in the Greenwich Summer Jazz workshop.

2nd Place winner: Ryan Griffiths
Concert performance pieces: Body and Soul - Johnny Greene, On Green Dolphin Street - Bronislaw Kaper

The Second Place winner in the Jazz Soloist Competition was Tenor Saxophonist Ryan Griffiths, a senior at North Haven High School. He studies with Neil Dokurno. At North Haven High School, Ryan is a multi-instrumentalist who plays lead Tenor Sax in the Jazz 1 group, as well as Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Clarinet, Trumpet, in the Pit Orchestra, and Upright and Electric Bass in Jazz 2 group, as well as the Upright Bass in the Orchestra, and sings Bass in the Honor’s Choir. He also performs as lead tenor sax with the Educational Center for the Arts Jazz Ensemble, and the Neighborhood Music School select Ensemble. He has auditioned and been accepted into the Southern Regional Jazz Band as lead tenor for the past 3 years, as well as 1st chair Bass Clarinet in the Southern Regional Band. He has also participated in several summer Jazz programs…Hartt School, Rutgers Mason Gross, Neighborhood School, and Western Connecticut (Band and Jazz Band). He plans to major in Music Education and Jazz Studies (Tenor Saxophone.)

3rd Place winner: Jacob Donald

Concert performance piece: Donna Lee - Charlie Parker, Blue in Green - Bill Evans

The Third Place winner in the Jazz Soloist Competition was guitarist Jacob Donald, a high-honors senior at South Windsor High School. He studies with Richard Goldstein. For the past 3 years, Jacob has performed with the South Windsor High School Spectrum Band (Show Choir Band), and Jazz Band as lead guitarist. He participates in Guitar Class, Chorus, AP Music Theory, and Piano class at school, and has performed as guitarist at Infinity Hall in Hartford, the Hungry Tiger Cafe in Manchester, The Space in Hamden, Nightingales Acoustic Cafe, and the Music Now Showcase ICRV Radio with Ramblin Dan Stevens. He has been performing with his own band ‘Letterhead’ for the past 4 years, as well. He hopes to be a music teacher, as he enjoys encouraging children’s self-esteem, while helping them to discover something new every day.

Honorable Mention was awarded to : Trumpet player Ryan Farrell, a junior at Joseph A. Foran High School in Milford. He studies with Steve Perrett.

Judges: Mr. Douglas Maher, and Mr. Kevin Duffy