HIGH SCHOOL SOLO COMPETITION

High School Solo Competition

Each year in January, the Big Band Reunion and the Fox Jazz Fest sponsor a high school jazz improvisation competition where students from five Fox Valley counties compete for cash prizes awarded by Heid Music and an opportunity to be featured as a soloist during the annual Labor Day weekend Fox Jazz Fest. The instrumental and/or vocal finalists are also invited to perform live with the BBR during the month of May at Frank's Pizza Palace in Appleton.

This year's panel of judges included pianist/composer John Harmon (also Artistic Director for the FoxJazzFest), trumpeter Bob Levy - leader of the Big Band Reunion, trumpeter Marty Robinson, director of the UW-Oshkosh jazz ensemble and jazz program, and trumpeter Brad Curran, leader of the Oshkosh based group, "the Jazz Quartet Dig" and recent President of the Wisconsin unit of the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE).

Congratulations to the previous winners of the Fox Jazz Fest Jazz Improvisation Competition:

2008 - percussionist Tony Darling from Hortonville High School, first place, and trumpeter Kurt Shipe, Fond du Lac High School, second place finisher.
2009 - alto saxophonist Eric Scultz from Ashwaubenon High School, first place, and percussionist Mike Malone, Oshkosh West, second place.
2010 - percussionist/guitarist Mike Darling from Hortonville High School, first place, and alto sax/clariinetist Ana M. Nelson, Berlin High School, second place.
2011 - guitarist Frankie Salerno from DePere High School, first place.

For more information see Fox Jazz Fest - Education.

For more information, contact:

John Tassone – Manager: (920-731-1643)
Bob Levy – Leader: (920-757-0852)