Kapok wins the European Jazz Competition Award 2013 at the Jazz Day

The winner of the European Jazz Competition, the most recent addition to the second day of the Jazz Day, is the trio round Morris Kliphuis, Kapok. An international jury of jazz producers and jazz festival executives announced its decision around midnight. “Kapok excels in originality and inventive interplay, plays nice unpolished and spontaneous. With a rich, overwhelming isual set to summon a great tension”, according to the jury.

The Jazz Day’s second day had its festive conclusion with the celebration set by the winner of the 2013 European Jazz Competition. The finale had five young, highly talented international groups battling for the prize, initiated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). De bi-annual competition started in 2006 at the initiative of the EBU, the North Sea Jazz Festival and the Netherlands based European Jazz Competition Foundation. The Jazz Day’s collaboration with the European Jazz Competition gives the impetus to a European Talent Exchange Program for jazz, striving for a greater role for European jazz at festivals. With this extension of its scope the Jazz Day emphasizes its international ambition to become the number one stage for jazz music in Europe.

The European Jazz Competition’s finale was the conclusion of the Jazz Day, the two day network and showcase event at Rotterdam’s Kop van Zuid area. On its first day the prime Dutch jazz network and showcase event Jazz Day may be called a huge success already. The 2013 edition has been spread over two days, because last year’s Jazz Day was filled to more than the brim. The Jazz Day is also the official kick-off for North Sea Round Town and the starting point for two weeks of splendid jazz in Rotterdam. The first festival day concluded with spectacular performances by the Benjamin Herman Trio, Simin Tander 4tet and eBraam.

In addition to the well-known showcase program the Jazz Day also offered the new item Next Generation Jazz on the first festival day. This included the best master students of the seven Dutch conservatories showing their exceptional skills. The winner of the Prinses Christina Jazz Competition for young talent also gave an excellent performance.

Partners
The Jazz Day is organized by Buma Cultuur at the initiative of Buma Cultuur and Stichting JazzNL. Jazz Day partners are: The City of Rotterdam, Art & Culture Department, LantarenVenster, Nederlandse Toonkunstenaarsbond (Ntb; Dutch Musicians Union), Sena (copyright organization), Sublime FM, Jazzism magazine, Radio 6 / NTR, North Sea Round Town, Rotterdam Festivals and WG Theater Techniek.

The European Jazz Competition 2013 is made possible by: the EBU, SENA, Buma Cultuur, NORMA, Rotterdam Festivals, de Jazz Day, North Sea Round Town, the Ntb, NTR, Radio 6, VPRO, Swinging Europe, North Sea Jazz Festival and LantarenVenster.