[NewMusic] Jazz at Rostov-on-Don

Sun May 6 11:19:16 PDT 2007

Dear bListers,

Here's an interesting piece on the jazz scene in Russia...or at least,
the academic jazz scene...

PG

Jazz Along the Don

Rostov-on-Don hosts an international jazz competition for young
musicians.

By Erik Solovyov
Published: May 4, 2007

Rostov-on-Don is probably not the first place to come to mind when one 
thinks about jazz. But the southern Russian city is raising its profile
in 
the jazz world by bringing an international flavor to its 17-year-old 
competition of young jazz artists. Last week, 51 musicians from Russia
and 
Ukraine competed for the top prizes in the competition, whose jury
included 
members from Germany and Poland.

Although contestants came from as far away as Arkhanglesk, Samara and 
Yaroslavl, many of the winners were Rostov-on-Don natives.

"That's not surprising," said the head of the jury, acclaimed Moscow 
pianist Igor Bril, after the April 26 award ceremony. "Because in Russia

there are two acknowledged schools of jazz: the Moscow school and the 
Rostov school."

Indeed, Rostov-on-Don is the only city in Russia with a system of jazz 
education that runs all the way from primary school to the graduate
level. 
The local jazz high school dates back to 1974, while the Rostov-on-Don 
Conservatory established a jazz department in 1982. In the 1990s, the
city 
became home to the Kim Nazaretov Children's Jazz School, where children
as 
young as 3 can come study. No other Russian city -- not even Moscow --
has 
a comparable school.

The result is a vibrant jazz scene that music journalist Olga Korzhova 
captured in the title of her 2006 book, "Rostov-on-Jazz."

Another major aspect of the city's jazz scene is its competition of
young 
musicians, which started in 1990 and has been held every 3 or 4 years
since 
then. This was the first year that the competition opened up to
foreigners.

Nearly 150 musicians aged 16 to 30 entered this year's competition, with

about two thirds being eliminated in the first round. The rest moved on
to 
the second round, where they competed in the categories of saxophone, 
trumpet, trombone, piano, keyboards, guitar, bass guitar, double bass
and 
percussion. In the end, special Grand Prix awards were given to Moscow 
pianist Nikolai Sidorenko and Rostov-on-Don saxophonist Yevgeny Ring.

"It was very hard to choose the best of these beginning jazz musicians,"

jury member Uwe Plath said after the awards ceremony. Plath, a professor
at 
the Glen Buschmann Jazz Academy in Dortmund, Germany, was one of several

jury members from outside Russia. Until this year, only Russians had
served 
on the jury.

Other jury members praised Rostov-on-Don's system of musical education.

"Rostov is the only major city in Russia where jazz education is set up 
professionally," said Vladimir Feiertag, a prominent St. Petersburg
music 
critic and a leading historian of Russian jazz. "In any case, it
shouldn't 
be seen as a rival, but rather as a worthy partner, of the Moscow
school."

The next major jazz event in Rostov-on-Don will be the city's
long-running 
international jazz festival, to be held in September.

Phillip Greenlief
c/o Evander Music
PO Box 22158 Oakland, CA
94623-9991
www.evandermusic.com