Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition Registration Open

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Source: Blues Alley
January 15, 2025
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DATELINE WASHINGTON, DC

Hello and Happy New Year to one and all. Our 8th Annual Ella Fitzgerald Competition has launched, and we welcome registrants between now and the end of January. Over the past years we have welcomed registrants from around the globe. Entrants have included the countries of Brazil, Switzerland, South Africa, China, Canada, Belarus and all over the United States. The one thing that continues to resonate around the globe is Ella Fitzgerald��s love of children, her boundless creative spirit, and her timeless interpretation of the Great American Songbook.

Countless generations have enjoyed her music, but it is future generations that allow her legacy to endure. This year we are honoring the Harold Arlen Songbook with such notable classics as:

World on a String
That Old Black Magic
Let��s Fall in Love
My Shining Hour
Blues in the Night
Stormy Weather

We ask our contestants to select three songs for submission which will then be adjudicated by classic vocal educators, interpreters, and vocalists

Vanessa Rubin

vocals
b.1957

" data-original-title="" title="">Vanessa Rubin and

Nicole Zuraitis

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Nicole Zuraitis. Each brings their own appreciation of this uniquely American musical icon in both study and performance.

Contestants will record tunes in any key desired with a rhythm section. The timeline for our turnaround is as follows:

Audio Submissions Deadline

January 31, 2025

Adjudication Review

February 1st �C early March 2025

Finalists Announced

Mid March 2025

The five finalists will then be invited to submit video presentations with that cost underwritten by the Blues Alley Jazz Society or equivalent to Five hundred dollars ($500.00) per contestant submission. The five finalists will then be announced on Saturday, April 26th with our first prize winner performing alongside our featured artist, educator, and adjudicator on our world-renowned Blues Alley stage.

The ��Ella Fitzgerald Birthday Celebration�� will begin at Blues Alley on Monday, April 14th and concludes on Sunday, April 27th. Our tradition continues with past competition winners performing and headlining on our world-renowned Blues Alley stage as follows:

Arta Jekabsone

vocals
b.1995

" data-original-title="" title="">Arta Jekabsone

Julia Danielle

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Julia Danielle

April Varner

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">April Varner

Alyssa Allgood

vocals
b.1992

" data-original-title="" title="">Alyssa Allgood

Melinda Rose Rodriguez

vocals
b.1995

" data-original-title="" title="">Melinda Rose Rodriguez

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While the celebration will acknowledge Harold Arlen it will similarly honor the Great American Songbook and its contribution to the fabric of global cultural diplomacy.

Ella Fitzgerald was first and foremost a songstress, but she was also a celebrated cultural ambassador. She traveled the world singing songs of the American Dream, embracing audiences the world over, and constructing a legacy that endures over time. All our artists, adjudicators, and audiences continue to share both her legacy and our collective dreams. These dreams are similarly shared by our contestants who identify with self-determination, strength, and a common vision of a better tomorrow today.

Additional details can be found at either bluesalley.org or ellafitzgeraldcompetition.org.

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