On November 1st and 2nd, the nation's top ten young jazz pianists competed for over $10,000.00 in prizes in Gleason Performing Arts Center on the Florida Tech campus in the first EVER American Jazz Pianist Competition. Here are interviews and performances from the 5 finalists.
Gill Scott Chapman, 24, NJ - “ Being involved with the AJPC will help to accelerate my musical career, while also helping me to achieve some of the lofty goals I have set for myself in the process.”
Emmet Cohen, Winner, 24, NY - “Being involved with the AJPC will help to accelerate my music career, while also helping me to achieve some of the lofty goals I have set for myself in the process.”
Addison Frei, 22, FL - “By entering the AJPC I hope to expand the breadth of my resume and move closer to achieving my musical goals.”
David Meder, 24, NY - “By entering this competition, I am hoping to gain exposure and increase my audience base. In Addition, I hope to receive criticism from the judges as a means of improving my art. Participating in the AJPC will surely be a great step forward in my musical career.”
Grant Richards, 23, OR - “ The AJPC is an amazing opportunity for me to take a step closer to my goals by meeting and performing in front of musicians whose music I know and admire. The rewards of performing well in the AJPC could help me complete the work on my third album as leader.”
