Dedicated to the saxophone.

The Festival “New Conversations – Vicenza Jazz” promotes, in collaboration with the magazine “Jazz Music”, the third edition of Olimpico Jazz Contest (OJC), music competition reserved for young soloists belonging to the European Union, that express themselves in the languages of jazzy extraction.

On the occasion of the centenary of the birth of Charlie Parker, for the 2020 edition OJC is exclusively reserved for saxophonists (any kind of sax).

Originally, the final stages of the first edition were to be held during the festival of May 2020; then the events due to Covid-19 moved everything to December, with the hypothesis of Vicenza Jazz Winter, again delayed due to the pandemic.

In the meantime, however, the jury of experts, composed by the festival director Riccardo Brazzale, saxophonists Robert Bonisolo, Mauro Negri and Pietro Tonolo, and the director of the magazine Musica Jazz Luca Conti, so that, for this first edition dedicated to saxophonists (in the name of Charlie Parker, which in 2020 fell the centenary of birth), there are now the names of the four semifinalists who will perform next spring.

These are – in alphabetical order – Nicola Caminiti (Messina), Giovanni Fochesato (Cologna Veneta – VR), Michele Tino (Calenzano – FI) and Matteo Zecchi (San Casciano in Val di Pesa.- FI), chosen with some skill by the jurors, in a list of high quality members, with questions also from northern Europe.

The commission, composed by the festival director by the festival director Riccardo Brazzale, saxophonists Robert Bonisolo, Mauro Negri and Pietro Tonolo, and the director of the magazine Jazz Music Luca Contia following the final has decreed Giovanni Fochesato as winner of the Trivellato Award dedicated to the best soloist.

The Marco Birro Award dedicated to the best original composition goes to Michele Tino.