An international jury consisting of Nils Petter Molvær (chair), Hilde Marie Holsen, and Lynn Cassiers has awarded prizes in the Jazz Juniors 2024 competition. The Grand Prix goes to the quintet Blu/Bry (Poland), the 2nd prize – to Vincent Meissner Trio (Germany), the 3rd prize – to accordionist Zbigniew Chojnacki (Poland).
Six bands performed in the final auditions of this year’s Jazz Juniors, held on 30th September at Cracow’s Cricoteka: Adam Baran & Helicopets (Poland), Reboot the Mood (Germany), Cyryl Lewczuk Quartet (Poland), Blu/Bry (Poland), Vincent Meissner Trio (Germany), and Zbigniew Chojnacki (Poland). They were assessed not only by our international jury, but also by the International Partners’ Council.
‘The musicians we have heard in the Competition are really fantastic, and so the jury’s decision was far from simple,’ commented Nils Petter Molvær, Jazz Juniors new artistic director and artist-in-residence, chair of the competition jury, summing up the final auditions. ‘We have selected three winners, but in truth, each and every one of you is an exceptional artist,’ he said to the finalists.
The jury has decided as follows:
The Grand Prix of the 48th Jazz Juniors and an award of PLN 10,000 goes to the Polish quintet Blu/Bry, consisting of: Jan Kusz – saxophones, Tomek Kusz – trumpet, Jakub Letkiewicz – piano, Stanisław Banys – drums, and Franciszek Wicke – bass guitar and double bass. Founded in 2019 by musicians who study in Denmark, the band combines a modern European jazz sound with the lightness of folk music from all over the world. They have recently released their first album.
The 2nd prize (of PLN 5,000) was awarded to Vincent Meissner Trio from Germany, ‘new hope of German jazz’ (by MDR Kultur TV station). In the last two years, the band has conquered Europe’s club and festival stages.
The 3rd prize (of PLN 3000) was presented to Zbigniew Chojnacki, Polish accordionist, composer and electronic music artist, author of improvisations that oscillate between song, ambient, noise, drone, jazz, electronics, and broadly conceived chamber music. The jury also recognised him with this year’s Janusz Muniak Award (of PLN 5000).
Blu/Bry quintet, winner of the 2024 Jazz Juniors, was also invited by the jury to JAZZAHEAD! 2025, Europe’s largest jazz trade fair and festival. This prestigious invitation has been funded by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
Thanks to the generous support of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and as in previous years, we have hosted a group of foreign partners at the Festival. These representatives of prestigious festivals, concert venues and record labels are part of the Jazz Juniors partnership network, developed already for nine years with a view to promoting young Polish musicians at home and abroad, which is a key idea of our competition. These partners listen to the finalists during the auditions and subsequently award special prizes in the form of invitations to play concerts and appear at festivals.
This year’s Jazz Juniors International Partners’ Council included: Zsolt Hernádi (Budapest Music Center / Opus Jazz Club, Hungary), Branislav Dejanovic (Nišville Jazz Festival, Serbia), Enrico Moccia (Fara Music Festival & Emme Record Label, Italy), Vilém Spilka (Jazz Fest Brno, Czech Republic), Ratko Zjača (Jazz u vinogradu, Croatia), Michał Hajduk (NOSPR, Poland), Mikołaj Poncyliusz (Jazz po polsku, Poland), Camilla Juul Kjærgaard and Lars Thor Jensen (Jazz Denmark).
The following invitations to perform at festivals and concerts have been extended to the finalists: Guitarist Adam Baran, known in Warsaw’s alternative and improvised music scene, and his band Helicopets received invitations from Zsolt Hernádi (Budapest Music Center / Opus Jazz Club), Vilém Spilka (Jazz Fest Brno), Ratko Zjača (Jazz u vinogradu), and Michał Hajduk (for a concert at NOSPR Jazz Club), as well as an offer of Collaborative Residency in Denmark from Camilla Juul Kjærgaard and Lars Thor Jensen (Jazz Denmark).
Blu/Bry quintet was offered a concert and a recording session by Enrico Moccia (Fara Music Festival & Emme Record Label). Mikołaj Poncyliusz invited them to Warsaw Live Sessions.
An invitation for Zbigniew Chojnacki came from Zsolt Hernádi (Budapest Music Center / Opus Jazz Club).
Reboot the Mood was invited by Branislav Dejanovic to play at Nišville Jazz Festival in Serbia.
Vincent Meissner Trio’s invitation from Michał Poncyliusz concerns an appearance at the Warsaw festival ‘Jazz po polsku’.
