Seattle-Kobe Female Jazz Vocalist Competition

Announcing a Sister-City Female Vocalist Jazz Contest
High school, adult winners will win trip to Kobe, Japan
Submission deadline March 16, 2005

The Seattle Kobe Sister City Association (SKSCA) is pleased to announce the very first Seattle-Kobe Female Jazz Vocalist Competition. SKSCA will send one high school and one adult female jazz vocalist from the greater Seattle area to Kobe, Japan to participate in a concert to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the “birth" of jazz in Japan and commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Kobe earthquake.

Every fall for the last 5 years the winner of the Kobe Jazz contest has flown to Seattle to debut in the US at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley. This year, the Seattle-Kobe Sister City Association is hosting this jazz vocalist competition to start a reciprocal event to send two Seattle female jazz vocalists to Japan.

Applications and audition tape/CDs are due postmarked March 16, 2005.

Semi-finalists will be selected by early April, and Finalists will be invited to a live competition at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley on Saturday, April 16 at 9:30 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. Family, friends, and community members are welcome to come and support the finalists. The cover charge will be $3.00/person with proceeds supporting this, and future Seattle-Kobe Jazz competitions.

The two winning competitors will perform in a special event on October 1, 2005 at the amphitheater at the Minatogawa Park in Seattle's sister city of Kobe, Japan. (Back-up musicians will be provided.)

Grand Prize Winners will receive:

1. Two roundtrip tickets to Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan (one for the winner and one for a companion/parent) 2. Lodging for 3 nights (winner and companion in same hotel room)
3. All meals for the 3-day stay in Kobe (for winner and companion). *meals/snacks during transit, souvenirs and additional expenses are the winners' responsibility
4. Airport transfers/ground transportation in Kobe, Japan.

Eligibility:

Applicants must (1) be female (2) be a high school student or adult (18+) (3) reside in the greater Seattle area and represent Seattle in Kobe, Japan.

Competition Schedule:

I. March 16, 2005 (Postmark DEADLINE): Submit your application and audition tape/CD (and two extra copies) for semi-finalist selection to:

Seattle-Kobe Female Jazz Vocalist Competition
c/o Hyogo Business & Cultural Center
2001 Sixth Ave, Suite 2610
Seattle, WA 98121

II. April 2, 2005: Semi-finalists will be notified by telephone and letter. III. April 16, 2005: Live competition at Jazz Alley (Sat) 9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Guidelines/ Required Preparation:

I. Semi-finalist selection:

* Tapes/CDs: no longer than 10 minutes with 2 (or 3) jazz tunes of contrasting styles
* Complete application form

II. Finalist selection:

* Perform 2 tunes of contrasting jazz styles
* May bring ONE accompanist (piano, guitar, etc.)
* Each finalist will have a total of 15 minutes to set-up, perform, and leave the stage.
* Performances will be judged on technical and artistic merit

III. Grand Prize: Performance in Kobe, Japan

* Depart Seattle on September 28, 2005, arrive in Japan on September 29, 2005.
* Perform in Kobe on Saturday, October 1, 2005.
* Depart Japan on October 2, arrive in Seattle on October 2, 2005.

Sponsors for this event include: Seattle-Kobe Sister City Association, Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, Hyogo Business & Cultural Center, Kobe Trade Information Office, Shinkaichi Music Street.

For more information and to download the pdf application form, visit www.hyogobcc.org.

Contact:
Karin Zaugg, [email protected] - (206)-733-9810 or Erin Erickson, [email protected] - (206)-728-0610