The ASCAP Foundation Names Winners of Annual Young Jazz Composer Awards

New York, NY, January 26, 2005: ASCAP Foundation President Marilyn Bergman has announced the winners of the 2004 / 2005 ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Awards. The program, established in 2002, was created to encourage gifted American jazz composers to create new works. Composers from throughout the United States ranging in age from 12 to 30 competed for the cash awards. The winning works were selected through a juried national competition.

Commenting on the awards, Marilyn Bergman said, “The young talents nurtured by this program represent the future of this uniquely American art form. We congratulate the recipients and extend thanks to the dedicated panel of ASCAP composers who selected the winners."

The 2004/2005 ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Award recipients are: Michael Blanco, 28, Astoria, NY; Robert Borgstede, 25, Troy, IL; Maurice Brown, 24, New Orleans, LA; Patrick Cornelius, 26, Astoria, NY; Zaccai Curtis, 22, Windsor, CT, Jesse Elder, 21, Rochester, MI; Jason Flatley, 23, Baltimore, MD, Quamon Fowler, 24, Lubbock, TX; Jason Goldman, 29, South Pasadena, CA; David Guidi, 26, Austin, TX; Eric Hirsh, 20, Carrboro, NC; Pascal Le Boeuf, 18, Santa Cruz, CA; Remy Le Boeuf, 18, Santa Cruz, CA; Richard K Parker, 26, Greenwich, CT; Christopher Pattishall, 18, Durham, NC; Nate Radley, 29, Astoria, NY; Bob Reynolds, 27, Astoria, NY; Daniel Riera, 17, San Francisco, CA; Sherisse Rogers, 26, Brooklyn, NY; Matt Savage, 12, Francestown, NH; Jeff Schneider, 17, Cos Cob, CT; Joey Schneider, 16, Novato, CA; Jaleel Shaw, 26, Paterson, NJ; and Manuel Valera, 24, Brooklyn, NY.

The following composers were recognized with Honorable Mention: Randy Bauer, 29, Princeton, NJ; Dan Cavanagh, 26, St Paul, MN; Alan Ferber, 30, Brooklyn, NY; Jimmy Greene, 29, Hartford, CT; Alex Heitlinger, 24, Jersey City, NJ; Jeremy Kittel, 20, Ann Arbor, MI; Wade Ridenhour, 17, St. James, MO; Tyson Rogers, 29, Durham, NC; Sam Sadigursky, 25, Brooklyn, NY; Charles Schiermeyer, 23, Redmond, WA; James Westfall, 23, Los Angeles, CA.

The ASCAP composer/judges for the 2004/2005 competition were: John Fedchock, Phil Markowitz and Rufus Reid.

The ASCAP Foundation supports the American composer and the development of American music through educational programs. Included in these are songwriting workshops, grants to young composers, music education programs, and public service projects for senior composers and lyricists. The ASCAP Foundation is supported by contributions from ASCAP members and music lovers throughout the United States.