Jazz Sudbury looking for emerging artists

Jazz Sudbury is seeking talented up-and-coming Jazz musicians who are ready to take their act to the Main Stage of the Jazz Sudbury Festival this September.

All performers who play around the jazz genre (soul, funk, blues, swing, etc.) whether they are a band, a duo or a solo act are invited to showcase their talent and earn a spot in the festival lineup.

Jazz Sudbury hopes to once again find exciting emerging acts from the region and throughout the province.

Jazz Sudbury is asking all emerging jazz solo artists or groups residing in Ontario to submit a three to five minute video performance to the Jazz Sudbury website for a chance to share the stage with the festival’s headline artists.

Contestants will have the opportunity to win a $1,000 Grand Prize and the spot in the festival lineup as the opening act performance on the Main Stage at the Jazz Sudbury Festival.

A panel of industry experts will narrow down the entrants to the three finalists who will be invited to perform at a stand-alone show and headliner announcement event in June.

Following a final decision from the judges panel, the Emerging Artists Showcase winner will be declared and will learn which headliners they will share the Grace Hartman Amphitheatre stage with on September 9.

“Sudbury has cultivated the kind of close knit arts community that you can only really get when you go outside the big city,” said Peter Bull, band leader and bassist for Dog Leg Dilemma. “Being chosen by the judges to open up the festival was a huge honour and has really helped our visibility as an up and coming band.”

Since winning the EAS and performing on the Main Stage last September, the band has been playing around the Toronto area and working on new material for an upcoming album.

They are currently in the home stretch of a 60 day crowdfunding campaign to help pay for the recording of the new album.

When asked if he’d recommend the EAS to others, Bull sends this message: “To any other young musicians who are thinking about applying to this competition, DO IT! The folks at Jazz Sudbury are a pleasure to work with and really want you to succeed!”

The deadline to enter is Sunday, May 15, 2016 at midnight.

Entries are now being accepted, so warm up your chops and get the camera rolling and you could be sharing the stage with some of the best jazz artists in Canada!

For details and full guidelines for the 2016 Emerging Artist Showcase and the Jazz Sudbury Festival, visit our website.

You can also find our event page on Facebook (facebook.com/JazzSudbury) and follow us on Twitter @jazzsudbury.

Jazz Sudbury is a non-profit organization dedicated to producing performances and activities in the area of music for the purpose of advancing the public’s understanding and appreciation of the arts through festivals, performances, and related workshops.

Previously named “Best New Festival” and one of the Top 100 Festivals in Ontario by Festivals and Events Ontario, Jazz Sudbury has grown to become one of the premier events in the North.