The following scores and parts may be downloaded and performed, however the copyrights remain strictly with the respective composer.  Please provide credit in concert programs where the charts are performed live, and contact the composers for permission if seeking to use them for a published recording.

2017 Winners

 Zachary Gossett (Durham, North Carolina), “Prayer for Impassioned Resistance“

Composer and pianist Zachary Gossett takes inspiration from an eclectic mix of art and music. He seeks to keep a strong social conscience, a good melody, and a swinging rhythm section as mainstays of his sound, while borrowing as much from his love of Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, and Andrew Hill, as from Stravinsky, Ravel, Bach, and Kodály.  Zach currently resides in Durham, North Carolina, where he is earning a Masters of Jazz Composition at NC Central and studying with Joey Calderazzo. He teaches, and performs as a sideman and bandleader in the Triangle.

Kevin Beardsley (Apex, North Carolina), “Connection“

Kevin Beardsley is an electric/upright bassist from Apex, North Carolina. He is a junior at UNC with a Bachelors Degree in Music (Jazz Studies) as his Major and a Christianity and Culture Minor. He has a wide range of musical interests including jazz, fusion, Latin, and classical music, and is integrating himself into the local RDU area music scene while playing in jazz, Latin, and orchestral ensembles at UNC. Kevin went to Puerto Rico winter of 2016 to record Atticus Reynolds’ album “Ventana,” and performed alongside Jonathan Suazo, Daniel Ramirez, Beto Torrens, and Pablo Campos, and shortly after began writing a few of his first individual, notated compositions outside of collaborative writing with his band GrayScale Whale. His other individual work is a tune written for his girlfriend Livi Tercheria entitled “Zarin.”

2016 Winners

António Silva (Coimbra, Portugal), “Promontorio“

António Miguel Dias da Silva was born in Coimbra, Portugal. He quit studying economics to pursue his passion for music. From 2014 to 2016, António Silva was one of only four musicians selected for the master’s degree “Nordic Masters in Jazz” which takes him to study and live in three different countries: Finland, Sweden, and Denmark. He also studied composition privately with American teacher Glenn Jordan, teacher of the “Equal Interval System.” In 2013 he recorded his first CD “Ararur,” which won three awards internationally in the “13th Independent Music Awards.” In 2016 he released his second album with his group Ararur, called “Mielikki.” His music crosses various styles with a composition for string quartet having been his first premiere in the USA.

Rodrigo Baggio (São Paulo, Brazil), “A Few Words To Say What I Saw“

Combining the Brazilian music, jazz improvisation, and elements of contemporary classical music, Brazilian guitarist/composer Rodrigo Baggio has excelled internationally since 2012. He was the guest guitarist of Université Laval (Quebec, Canada) in 2012, premiering four compositions commissioned by Professor Dr. James Lebens for that occasion. In 2015, he was the guest guitarist of Vox Novus Organization (New York), performing at the “Fifteen Minutes of Fame” Festival (Jan Hus Church) and “A Concert of Brazilian Music” (Ryan’s Daughter Pub), alongside Brazilian singer David Souza, in Manhattan. In 2016, he was the guest artist of the ‘No Cover’ Show – TV 34 (Montclair), performing pieces from his solo album “Afora” (Improvisations for Electric Guitar). Alongside the concerts, Baggio has composed music for different ensembles and musical projects totaling more than 60 premieres in 16 countries around the world. A graduated musician from UNAERP (University of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil), Baggio is currently developing his projects “Solo Guitar” and “Sound Pressure” (a Brazilian power trio that combines sounds from Brazilian music, jazz and rock) alongside fellow musicians Danilo Gaeta (electric bass) and Fabio Pisca (drums).

Russ Kaplan (Maplewood, NJ), “Penelope“

Russ Kaplan is a jazz and theatre composer/keyboardist. His band /Russ Kaplan+7/ released its debut album /The Ulysses Cycle/ in 2013 on Ropeadope Records. He plays piano and accordion with Brooklyn Americana favorite Chris Q. Murphy, and was the long-time keyboardist for roots-rockers The Randy Bandits. As a theatre composer, Russ is a co-creator of the new Broadway musical /In Transit/, the first a cappella musical to open on Broadway.  His other shows include the family musical /Dear Albert Einstein/, the musical comedy collection /Shortstack/, and instrumental music for the Bessie award-winning dance company Third Rail Projects. He was a recent finalist for the 2014 Fred Ebb Award. Russ attended Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, where he also studied jazz piano and improvisation with John D’Amico and the legendary saxophonist Eric Kloss.

Jerry Liu (Menlo Park, CA), “Food for Last“

Jerry Liu is a young pianist and composer in the San Francisco bay area. Born in January 2001, Jerry is currently an 11th grader at Menlo-Atherton High School, Atherton, CA. He started to take private piano lessons when he was 6 years old, and later took music theory, music history, and composition classes at the Community School of Music and Arts, in Mountain View, CA. As a composer, Jerry began writing jazz tunes, classical chamber music, and solo piano works in 2010. A couple of his compositions have been performed publicly by professional groups.

Nathan Morson (London, UK), “Just Passing By”

Nathan Morson is a Pianist, Composer, Arranger and Double Bassist from London. He started learning Classical Piano at the age of 6, and developed a strong interest in Jazz and improvisation while playing in his High School Jazz Band. This led to him studying on the BMus (Hons) Jazz Performance Course at Trinity College of Music, graduating in 2012. It was during his time at Trinity that Nathan started composing music and led him to study further at the Royal Academy of Music, and graduated in 2014 with a MA in Jazz Performance and Composition. Nathan has composed and arranged for a variety of ensembles including Jazz Trio, Jazz Septet + String Quartet and Male Choir. In spring 2015, his orchestration of one his Piano compositions, was chosen to be work shopped by the London Contemporary Chamber Orchestra, and most recently his composition for String Orchestra was chosen to be recorded by the Brno Philharmonic in Brno, Czech Republic. Nathan’s main influences include Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Gwilym Simcock, Claus Ogerman, James Horner and Hans Zimmer. As a performer, Nathan has played in some of London’s most prestigious venues including Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, the Purcell Room (Southbank Centre), the Ealing Jazz Festival and St. John’s Smith Square. Nathan is also a Double Bassist and has performed with the London Euphonia Orchestra, Philharmonia Britannica, and the Fulham Symphony Orchestra and currently plays in the Orchestra of the City. Nathan is a recipient of the Postgraduate Performance Award from Help Musicians UK, and the Hannah Horowitz Award from the Royal Academy of Music.

Daniel Walzer (Manchester, NH), “Stained Glass“

Daniel A. Walzer is an Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Walzer received his MFA from in Music and Sound for Visual Media at Academy of Art University, his MM in Jazz Studies from the University of Cincinnati, and his BM in Jazz Studies from Bowling Green State University. Originally trained as a jazz percussionist, Walzer has composed music for a range of solo instruments, contemporary ensembles, and mixed media projects. Additionally, Walzer has numerous album credits as a bandleader, session musician, and media professional. Walzer is currently finishing a Ph.D. in Leadership from the University of the Cumberlands. For more information, please visit http://www.danielwalzer.com.

2015 Winners

Michael Caudill (Amherst, MA), “Scalene Scene“

Multi-instrumentalist and composer, Mike Caudill, is a Massachusetts-based musician and Teaching Assistant at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the Master of Music Jazz Arranging and Composition program. He earned his bachelor’s degrees at UMass in Jazz and Afro-American Music as well as Acoustics.

Mike plays throughout New England and tours with a variety of groups. In addition to leading his own quartet, he plays saxophone in the jazz fusion group City of Four, and often performs with Interplay Jazz, The Abletones, and The High Society Orchestra, among other groups. Mike has performed in historic venues, like Boston’s Symphony Hall and Worcester’s Mechanic’s Hall, as well as in notorious jazz venues like Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in New York, Sculler’s Jazz Club in Boston, and many other venues.

Some of Mike’s recent achievements include being selected to play Lead Tenor in the 2015 Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Jazz Orchestra directed by trumpeter Sean Jones, being a 2014 Winner of the ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards, 2014 recipient of a Downbeat Student Music Outstanding Performance Award with City of Four, and being named the 2013 Presser Scholar of Music at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Mike studied saxophone classically with Lynn Klock as a member of the UMass Sax Studio and his teachers have included Felipe Salles, Jeff Holmes, Tom Giampietro, William DiNuzzio, and Corey Tunnessen. Mike has had the opportunity to perform on stage with iconic jazz figures like Randy Brecker, Dick Oatts, Dave Liebman, Sheila Jordan, and Karrin Allyson, among others. Mike has performed with other groups across different genres, including with the acclaimed rock group 10,000 Maniacs.

Chris McCarthy (Seattle, WA), “Poor Elephant“

Chris McCarthy is an active composer and pianist currently based in the Boston area. Winner of the 2012 Gerald Wilson Big Band Composition Award at the Monterey Jazz Festival, McCarthy’s compositions have been performed by artists such as Ambrose Akinmusire, Ingrid Jensen and Jerry Bergonzi. Praised for a sound that is “mature beyond his years” (Jazz Now! Seattle), McCarthy maintains a very busy performance schedule around greater Boston, performing with Jerry Bergonzi, Phil Grenadier, George Garzone, Jason Palmer, and many others. He is also the band leader of the free jazz quintet Beau D’Ver and the neo-soul collective Ringshine, which both feature his original works. This past August, McCarthy attended the Banff Jazz and Creative Music Workshop under the artistic direction of Vijay Iyer, an intense three week program focused on original music. The submitted composition, “Poor Elephant,” was written during the workshop, and it is heavily influenced by the music of the Aka Pygmees, a tribe in Central Africa.

Trevor McPherson (Southern Shores, NC), “Contra Mundum“

Trevor McPherson is composer and pianist studying biology and music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  He began composing in high school, writing for the school’s concert and marching bands.  Trevor has written pieces for a variety of ensembles including the UNC Chapel Hill Jazz Band, and embraces the opportunity and challenge of taking on new compositional projects.

Caleb Rumley (Paterson, NJ), “Knowing Ms. Bland“

Caleb Rumley is a composer and arranger living in Paterson, New Jersey. He is the conductor and co-leader of the 19-piece big band, Big Beat, which mixes contemporary jazz originals and modern R&B music. Big Beat recently recorded a 5-track EP which was produced by legendary arranger and trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater, whom Caleb considers one of his greatest mentors. His composition, “Search for Clarity” was commissioned by the Diane Moser Composer’s Big Band and received Honorary Mention in the 2015 New York Youth Symphony jazz composer’s contest. He is currently studying the Graduate Jazz Arranging program at William Paterson University, and is studying with Cecil Bridgewater, Jim McNeely, and Pete McGuinness.

Jacky Schreiber (Caracas, Venezuela), “Over and Over Again“

Born 1961, Jacky Schreiber studied composition in Caracas, Venezuela. He has written orchestral, chamber and electroacoustic music, as well as composed music for the multimedia industry, including TV, film, dance and theater plays. Several of his works have received national and municipal composition prizes.

Spencer Sussman (Pleasanton, CA), “Floatopia“

From the warm beaches of Costa Rica to major Los Angeles music venues, Spencer Sussman has delighted audiences with his talent, creativity, and passion for performance. Spencer is a tenor and bass trombonist, composer, arranger, and educator from the San Francisco Bay Area.

During his undergraduate career at University of California Santa Barbara Spencer studied both music and sociology, where he broadened his musical palette and developed a passion for improvisation. Spencer played in nearly every university ensemble and with many groups in the surrounding area, such as the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony. Spencer also studied trombone performance with Bill Booth, principal trombonist of the Los Angeles Opera Company.

After his undergraduate study, Spencer moved to Los Angeles to explore a wide variety of musical avenues. He recorded and performed with various jazz ensembles, classical orchestras, indie rock bands, and many other individual projects. Spencer also studied with Paul Young, Music Professor at USC Thornton School of Music.

Spencer has since completed a masters degree in jazz studies at San Jose State University, studying under the expertise of Scott Whitfield, Thomas Hornig, and Grammy Award winner Aaron Lington. He has performed with Jon Faddis, Jamie Davis, Fred Berry, and will tour with the Glenn Miller Orchestra in the fall. Spencer has also performed internationally at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Jazz à Vienne, and locally at the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest and Jazz on the Hill in San Mateo.

Spencer currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where he performs, composes, arranges, and teaches.

John Dorhauer (Villa Park, IL), “Scandals and Animals“

John Dorhauer (b. 1985) is a composer who embraces and enjoys a wide variety of styles, and this diversity is reflected in his compositions. His music has been brought to life by concert, jazz, and rock bands alike, which is indicative of his flexibility and curiosity as a writer. Furthermore, Dorhauer’s affinity for musical eclecticism has allowed his writing to blur boundaries of conventional genre, creating something fresh and unique.

Dorhauer is highly active as the creator/director for Heisenberg Uncertainty Players, a composers’ jazz big band performing many of his original works. HUP currently holds a monthly residency in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood, and they have been featured on WGN-TV. They are currently working on a collaboration with a Chicago rapper, which they hope to premiere later this year.

Honors for Dorhauer’s writing include first prizes in International Contemporary Ensemble’s “The Listening Room” Contest, Young Composer Competitions from Fifth House Ensemble and Orion Ensemble, and also consecutive years for Chicago College of Performing Arts’ Wind Ensemble Composition Contest. Dorhauer is a three-time recipient of ASCAP Plus Awards, and he has received commissions from The New Collaborative (NYC), Chicago Composers Orchestra, El Sistema-Ravinia, and Riverside-Brookfield High School, amongst others. Notable ensembles/soloists to have performed/recorded his music include Fifth House Ensemble, Latitude 49, eighth blackbird’s Timothy Munro, Glenn Kotche, Vox Novus, Missouri State University Wind Ensemble, and Elmhurst College’s Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble, and Percussion Ensemble.

Ed Fogaca (Tatui, Sao Paulo, Brazil), “Muda Todo“

Graduated in Education and Academic Administration. In the Tatuí Conservatory studied Arrangement and Composition. Worked as musical instructor in many Brazilian conservatories. As musician recorded an instrumental solo album named “Samba Trocado”, with his authorship compositions and arrangements.
www.edfogaca.com.br

Joseph Hasper (Shippensburg, PA), “M Groove“

Joseph Hasper (b. 1963) is an emerging American composer best known for his jazz-influenced style of post-modern composition. His music is characterized by strong rhythmic impulses and harmonic structures borrowed from contemporary jazz idioms.

Joseph’s teachers include Leonardo Balada, Rich Shemaria, Phil Markowitz, and Marvin Lamb. His degrees include a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University and both an MM (music theory) and DMA (music composition) from the University of Oklahoma, where he was the recipient of the Michael Hennagin Scholarship, Carr-Wallace Scholarship, and grants from the American Music Center, Robberson Fund, and Weitzenhoffer College of Fine Arts. He was a guest composer at the 2012 Fresno New Music Festival, a presenter at the University of Oklahoma Graduate Seminar, and has won awards from the Anton Stadler Composition Competition, American Federation of Music Clubs, and the University of Oklahoma Graduate Research Program.

Joseph has been an Assistant Professor at Cameron University and Adjunct Professor at the University of Oklahoma, and currently teaches at Shippensburg University. He was formerly staff arranger and pianist for Army bands in the US and overseas. He has been a freelance composer and arranger since 1998.

Christian Kaltwasser (Monmouth, OR), “Whole Blue“

Christian Kaltwasser has been recognized for his musical talents and scholarship, including the WOU Outstanding Composer and Excellence in Ethnomusicology Awards. His compositions have been featured in master classes with Hollywood composer Dave Metzger (Frozen, The Avengers), Chamber Orchestra Kremlin, and Andrew York, and he has participated in clinics with singer-songwriter Ned Roberts, instrumental trio Ascendo3, and Halcyon Trio Oregon. He has studied composition and arranging with Dr. Kevin Walczyk, Dr. Bill Whitley, Dr. Keller Coker, Dr. Tom Bergeron, and Matthew Svoboda.

Timothy Lee Miller (Mahwah, NJ), “Ruby in the Ruff“

Timothy Lee Miller is an American composer writing contemporary concert music for chamber ensembles, orchestra, wind ensemble, and voice, as well as jazz music. He has earned degrees from the University of Tennessee, the University of Miami and Vermont College of Fine Arts. His principle composition teachers have been John Anthony Lennon, James Progris, Ron Miller, Tamar Diesendruck, Jonathan Bailey Holland, Andy Jaffe, John Fitz Rogers and Roger Zahab. He has received numerous commissions and awards, including several ASCAP awards. His works have been performed throughout the US and Europe. His music is recorded on ERMMedia, PARMA/Navona Records and Phoenix Classics. He lives in Mahwah, New Jersey with his wife and son Sebastian.

Ben Zucker, (Lafayette, CA) “Time is a Goon”

Ben Zucker is a composer, improviser, sound designer, and multi-instrumentalist who explores the potential of music in performative, theoretical, and interdisciplinary situations. He has worked with Chanticleer, Anthony Braxton, Rinde Eckert, and Taylor Ho Bynum in various capacities as a percussionist, vocalist, pianist, and brass player. His own music, ranging from concert chamber music to electronic miniatures and performance art, has been used in over a dozen plays and films, and has been premiered at the Banff Centre, CSU Long Beach, and Bennington College. He is completing his BA in Music, with a certificate in critical theory, from Wesleyan University.