Jazz Showcase

3-5 February 2017.

The Müpa Budapest programme series aimed at uncovering talented jazz performers is celebrating a jubilee. The cultural institution will be putting on its Jazz Showcase event for the tenth time in 2017, after having the series grown into the most important talent show of the Central European region in recent years. This year’s edition will see performers such as the Balogh Gyula Quartet, Gino’s B Version, Girly Groove, Jazzbois, the Horváth Cintia Quintet, the Ludányi Tamás Quartet, Cymbal Rush, Vörös Janka e-Series and the Toni Snetberger Quartet compete for acclaim by the industry and the audience. The talented youngsters will again showcase their skills before an international panel of renowned experts. Similarly to last year, the most exciting productions will be afforded further performance opportunities. In addition to the judges, the audience will also hand out an award – the performer they select will get another opportunity to perform at Müpa Budapest in the near future.

The Jazz Showcase programme will once again be accompanied by unique concerts this year. On 3 February, Dávid Hodek (already considered to be a veteran of the genre at only 20 years of age) will be playing at the Festival Theatre alongside his American partners, pianist James Francies and bassist Joshua Crumbly. The day after will see the Bágyi Balázs New Quartet join forces with new generation Chinese trumpet-player Li Xiaochuan for a veritable tour-de-force. At Sunday’s closing gala, the breakthrough artists of the past ten years, singers Juli Fábián, Veronika Harcsa and Bálint Gájer, pianist Zoltán Balogh, guitarists Roland Balogh and Bálint Gyémánt or Copenhagen-based saxophonist Gábor Bolla will perform alongside the Senior Big Band led by Attila László.

 

Awards of the tenth Jazz Showcase

The judges’ award went to the Tamás Ludányi Quartet and the audience’s choice award was won by Janka Vörös and her band, e-Series. These two bands will be featured at Müpa Budapest’s future events, e-Series at the 20 August Jazz 0820, Müpa Budapest’s traditional season opening jazz festival and the Tamás Ludányi Quartet on the International Jazz Day on 30 April 2018.

Special prizes were awarded to Gino’s B Version, the Balogh Gyula Quartet and “best soloist” Cintia Horváth