Young jazz musicians across the Western Cape can now apply to showcase their talents at this year’s Youth Jazz Series, set to take place in June at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town.

The two-day event will feature aspiring jazz soloists performing on Friday 12 June, followed by school jazz bands taking the stage on Saturday 13 June.

Originally launched in 2003 as the Youth Jazz Festival, the programme has expanded significantly over the years to meet growing interest and accommodate the exceptional talent of young local musicians. Now known as the Youth Jazz Series, the project combines performance opportunities with valuable masterclass programmes led by industry professionals.

“Participants become hubs of sustainable learning as they are given a platform to voice their own creativity to a captive audience while they also get an opportunity to broaden their horizons by experiencing the magic of live stage, lights, sound and an audience,” organisers said.

Entry requirements

Aspiring musicians and instrumentalists must submit audition videos by Friday 17 April. Applicants must be 27 years old or younger in the year of participation and reside in the Western Cape.

The programme encourages both school learners and informal music students to audition. Music literacy is not essential, with candidates who play by ear welcome to apply.

Each applicant must submit a maximum of two audition videos, each lasting 3-4 minutes, featuring two jazz songs or standards.

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Selected candidates may be contacted for live auditions with the audition panel, with a maximum of 15 minutes allocated per candidate.

Successful applicants must be available for masterclasses and all required rehearsals between May and June. These sessions will be arranged between candidates and mentors following the audition process.

Contact slu@artscape.co.za for an entry form, then submit your audition video along with the entry form (which must include full name and surname).
The deadline for submissions is Friday 17 April.