Competition Rules

Competition Objectives

• Increase the exposure, interest and enjoyment of jazz music to a wide range of the music audience in all age groups, with particular focus on exposure to young persons.
• Motivate students to study jazz piano and pursue full- or part-time careers in jazz-related entertainment.
• Demonstrate the inherent artistic qualities of jazz as a unique and imaginative musical genre with its origins in America.

Eligibility for the Competition

• Applicants must be at least 15 years old, and no older than 25 years on September 15, 2015.
• Applicants must be citizens of the United States.

Travel and Accommodation

Travel and accommodation are the responsibility of the contestants.

Schedule and Format

• October 7, 2015: Application deadline.
• September 30 - October 14, 2015: Review of all applicants by judges.
• October 14, 2015: 10-12 candidates will be selected by a panel of AJPC judges for advancement to the semi-finalist level. All candidates will be notified of their status.
• November 13-15, 2015: semi-finalists and finalist performances- Schedule TBA

Competitors must have the following dates available: Our Gold Winner is pre-scheduled to perform from Thursday January 7th through Tuesday January 12th, 2016 in Central Florida. The finalist in concert award winners are pre-scheduled to perform from Thursday April 7th through April 11th, 2016. By entering the competition, competitor agrees to performance availability on any of these dates in order to fulfill their possible contractual agreements with the AJPC.

Performance Repertoire for the 2015 American Jazz Pianists Competition

1) The Great American Songbook:
Any standard tune by a composer generally considered part of the tradition of American pop music, musical theater, films, theater productions or other incidental sources.

2) Compositions by Jazz Musicians & Composers:
Examples: Ellington, Strayhorn, Fats Waller, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Rollins, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Ornette Coleman, Clifford Brown, Fred Hersch, Chick Corea, Joe Henderson, Herbie Hancock, Oscar Peterson, Keith Jarrett, Louis Armstrong, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Claire Fischer, Pat Metheny, Lee Morgan, Gary Burton, Tom Harrell, Horace Silver, Benny Goodman, Jelly Roll Morton, Benny Golson, Cedar Walton, Dave Brubeck, Cannonball Adderly, or other well-known jazz musicians and composers.

3) Free Choice: Original compositions (limit of one per round)

Procedures

Applicants may draw their repertoire from all three categories or choose two out of the three. They must submit a recording (CD) of 15 minutes consisting of 4 tracks selected from the competition repertoire categories. The recording must contain examples of trio and solo playing.

For the semi-finals, each chosen applicant would play a 15 minute set with both trio and solo selections. The applicant should choose either 2 to 4 tunes which display their overall abilities and talent. Of the ten semi-finalists, five will be chosen for the finals.

The five finalists will each perform a 20 minute set containing 2 to 4 tunes drawn from the competition repertoire categories. It must contain both trio and solo playing. The set should have a similar form to a short set at a concert or jazz club.

Semi-Finals & Finals Schedule

November 13-15, 2015: semi-finalists and finalist performances- Schedule TBA

Legal Notice

The jury’s decision will be completed in private and will be announced on November 15, 2015, shortly after completion of the competition. The Artist (competitor) accepts that the jury’s decisions are final and that no appeal is possible. The American Jazz Pianist Competition Corporation will not be held responsible due to unforeseen circumstances and/or the competition is modified, postponed or cancelled. Any dispute relating to the interpretation, execution or non-execution of the present regulations will be subject to United States law.

1st and 2nd place winners of the 2015 competition will be ineligible to compete in the 2016 competition.

Recording Rights

The American Jazz Pianist Competition Corporation or its successor has the right to record the sound (the “Audio Recording”) and visuals (the “Video Recording”) of all Artists' (competitors) performances during the competition and at any other venues concerning the American Jazz Pianist Competition now and in the future and to exploit the same, without payment of any compensation to Artist, for all forms of television and radio, Internet streaming (including free on-demand streaming) and on any kind of commercial audio device or commercial audiovisual device now known or hereafter developed.

The American Jazz Pianist Competition Corporation or its successors has the right to use Artists (competitors) name and likeness, as well as the right to use the “Audio Recording” and the” Video Recording” for the promotion of the American Jazz Pianist Competition.