The Europe Jazz Network bestows 3 awards: the EJN Award for Adventurous Programming (now at the 13th edition), the EJN Award for Music & Community (now at the 6th edition) and the EJN Zenith Award for Emerging Artists, in collaboration with 12 Points Festival (now at the 3rd edition). In the year 2024, the EJN Award for Adventurous Programming is bestowed to Budapest Music Center - BMC (Hungary), and the EJN Zenith Award for emerging artists to Liv Andrea Hauge trio (Norway). The Music & Community award winner will be announced shortly. Please find below the info about the announced winners.
The renowned music house in Budapest was awarded for its strong commitment over the years to the development of creative music through its many activities: the Concert Hall & Opus Jazz Club, the music information centre & archive, the BMC record label and more. The Award, this year reaching its 13th edition, is bestowed each year by the Europe Jazz Network (EJN) to a European festival or venue who succeeds in creating visionary and fascinating musical programmes for its audience.
The Award winner was selected through a two-phase process: in the first stage all of the 190+ EJN member organisations from 37 countries were asked to indicate a potential award winner (not necessarily an EJN member). Later on, a selected jury of EJN members and other respected music professionals met online in June 2024 to choose the winner out of the resulting list of 22 nominated festivals, clubs and concert venues.
Comment from the Award Jury 2024: “The Budapest Music Center (BMC) is adventurous in its commitment both to domestic and international artists, in a programme which is stylistically diverse, and fearless in its allegiance to music as an art form. BMC is a musician’s dream: a renovated 120 years old building converted into a true house of music, with beautiful performing spaces, an information centre and apartments where musicians can be hosted. On another level, we believe their commitment also embodies the freedom of expression as a democratic right, which is inspirational in promoting music beyond borders and beyond the limitations of day-to-day politics.”
The 2024 jury of the EJN Award for Adventurous Programming included: Raluca Baicu (North Sea Round Town, The Netherlands), Xavier Barcelo (Fira B!, Spain), Alexander Hawkins (artist, UK), Harun Izer (Istanbul Jazz Festival, Turkey), Louis Rastig (A L’Arme!, Germany, previous award winner).
Comment by BMC “We are thrilled and humbled to receive the EJN Award for Adventurous Programming. It is the most important recognition of the Budapest Music Center's 26-year contribution to European jazz, a long journey of evolution and discovery, as embodied in the current programming of the Opus Jazz Club. We are grateful for the creative energies of the artists who drive us, our team members past and present, and the invaluable friendships we have made along the way with our professional partners within and outside the Europe Jazz Network. We can't wait to continue the adventure with you.”
The 13th EJN Award for Adventurous Programming will be celebrated next week during the 10th European Jazz Conference in Ghent, Belgium, from 12 to 15 September 2024, with the EJN members and many other professionals from the creative music sector in Europe and beyond, and at BMC in Budapest later on during this year.
About Budapest Music Center (BMC)
Since its inception in 1996 by renowned trombonist and academy professor László Gőz, the Budapest Music Center (BMC) has been a beacon for contemporary Hungarian music, dedicated to presenting it to a global audience. As a unique fusion of concert organiser, record label, and information hub, BMC has been instrumental in enhancing the international stature of Hungary’s rich musical heritage. In 2013, BMC expanded its reach with the opening of a state-of-the-art headquarters, equipped with a 300-seat concert hall, the Opus Jazz Club, a comprehensive Music Information Center and Library, and the ever-growing BMC Records label, boasting over 350 releases across classical, contemporary, and jazz genres. Additionally, the headquarters houses the Peter Eötvös Contemporary Music Foundation, a prestigious institution committed to fostering the next generation of conductors, composers, and performers.
https://bmc.hu/en
At the heart of BMC’s cultural offerings lies the Opus Jazz Club, a vibrant venue where the finest talents of the European jazz scene perform regularly from Wednesday to Saturday. Each year, Opus presents over 200 concerts, more than 70 of which feature international artists. Praised for its remarkable acoustics, rich concert programming, a cherished Fazioli piano, and refined dining, Opus has quickly ascended to the ranks of Europe’s top jazz clubs. It has become a destination for international jazz enthusiasts and curious listeners alike, drawn by a lineup that has included luminaries such as Dave Liebman, Irène Schweizer, Vincent Courtois, Daniel Erdmann, Akit Takase, Michel Portal, Louis Sclavis, Keith Tippett – and more recently, Leïla Martial, Valentin Ceccaldi, Théo Ceccaldi, Kit Downes, Clément Janinet, Kirke Karja, Thomas de Pourquery, and many more.
https://opusjazzclub.hu/en
BMC Records, established in 1998, has evolved into one of Europe’s premier independent labels, amassing a catalogue of over 350 releases. The label is deeply committed to honouring traditional musical values while promoting bold, experimental approaches. Through its releases, BMC has built lasting international recognition for many Hungarian artists and fostered fruitful collaborations between musicians and orchestras across borders. The catalogue spans the works of Hungary’s iconic composers – Liszt, Bartók, Ligeti, Kurtág, and Eötvös – performed by acclaimed artists such as Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Barbara Hannigan, Ensemble Modern, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. In the jazz realm, BMC Records has featured releases with giants like Archie Shepp, Chris Potter, Hans Lüdemann, and Émile Parisien. Numerous accolades from Midem, Jazzman, Deutsche Schallplatten, and Diapason Magazine, coupled with thousands of positive reviews in the global press, attest to the label’s growing influence in European music. Its releases are available both in CD format and online.
https://bmcrecords.hu/en
About the EJN Award for Adventurous Programming
Each year, since 2012, EJN the Europe-wide association of promoters, presenters and organisations who specialise in creative music, contemporary jazz and improvised music, awards an European promoter who exemplifies the values of EJN and skillfully succeeds to create visionary and fascinating musical programmes for the audience.
Previous winners of the EJN Award for Adventurous Programming have been: A L’Arme! Festival in Germany (2024), Le Guess Who? festival in the Netherlands (2022), Jazzfest Berlin by Berliner Festspiele in Germany (2021), Victoria-Nasjonal Jazzscene in Norway ex-aequo with Porgy and Bess in Austria (2020), JazzFest Sarajevo in Bosnia Herzegovina (2019), Jazz Festival Ljubljana in Slovenia (2018), Tampere Jazz Happening in Finland (2017), Manchester Jazz Festival in the UK (2016), Moers Festival in Germany (2015), Jazz em Agosto in Portugal (2014), Bimhuis in the Netherlands (2013) and 12 Points Festival in Ireland (2012).
Budapest Music Center (BMC) is the receiver of the 13th EJN Award for Adventurous Programming
We are very happy to announce the winner of the EJN Award for Adventurous Programming 2024: Budapest Music Center (BMC) in Hungary.The renowned music house in Budapest was awarded for its strong commitment over the years to the development of creative music through its many activities: the Concert Hall & Opus Jazz Club, the music information centre & archive, the BMC record label and more. The Award, this year reaching its 13th edition, is bestowed each year by the Europe Jazz Network (EJN) to a European festival or venue who succeeds in creating visionary and fascinating musical programmes for its audience.
The Award winner was selected through a two-phase process: in the first stage all of the 190+ EJN member organisations from 37 countries were asked to indicate a potential award winner (not necessarily an EJN member). Later on, a selected jury of EJN members and other respected music professionals met online in June 2024 to choose the winner out of the resulting list of 22 nominated festivals, clubs and concert venues.
Comment from the Award Jury 2024: “The Budapest Music Center (BMC) is adventurous in its commitment both to domestic and international artists, in a programme which is stylistically diverse, and fearless in its allegiance to music as an art form. BMC is a musician’s dream: a renovated 120 years old building converted into a true house of music, with beautiful performing spaces, an information centre and apartments where musicians can be hosted. On another level, we believe their commitment also embodies the freedom of expression as a democratic right, which is inspirational in promoting music beyond borders and beyond the limitations of day-to-day politics.”
The 2024 jury of the EJN Award for Adventurous Programming included: Raluca Baicu (North Sea Round Town, The Netherlands), Xavier Barcelo (Fira B!, Spain), Alexander Hawkins (artist, UK), Harun Izer (Istanbul Jazz Festival, Turkey), Louis Rastig (A L’Arme!, Germany, previous award winner).
Comment by BMC “We are thrilled and humbled to receive the EJN Award for Adventurous Programming. It is the most important recognition of the Budapest Music Center's 26-year contribution to European jazz, a long journey of evolution and discovery, as embodied in the current programming of the Opus Jazz Club. We are grateful for the creative energies of the artists who drive us, our team members past and present, and the invaluable friendships we have made along the way with our professional partners within and outside the Europe Jazz Network. We can't wait to continue the adventure with you.”
The 13th EJN Award for Adventurous Programming will be celebrated next week during the 10th European Jazz Conference in Ghent, Belgium, from 12 to 15 September 2024, with the EJN members and many other professionals from the creative music sector in Europe and beyond, and at BMC in Budapest later on during this year.
About Budapest Music Center (BMC)
Since its inception in 1996 by renowned trombonist and academy professor László Gőz, the Budapest Music Center (BMC) has been a beacon for contemporary Hungarian music, dedicated to presenting it to a global audience. As a unique fusion of concert organiser, record label, and information hub, BMC has been instrumental in enhancing the international stature of Hungary’s rich musical heritage. In 2013, BMC expanded its reach with the opening of a state-of-the-art headquarters, equipped with a 300-seat concert hall, the Opus Jazz Club, a comprehensive Music Information Center and Library, and the ever-growing BMC Records label, boasting over 350 releases across classical, contemporary, and jazz genres. Additionally, the headquarters houses the Peter Eötvös Contemporary Music Foundation, a prestigious institution committed to fostering the next generation of conductors, composers, and performers.
https://bmc.hu/en
At the heart of BMC’s cultural offerings lies the Opus Jazz Club, a vibrant venue where the finest talents of the European jazz scene perform regularly from Wednesday to Saturday. Each year, Opus presents over 200 concerts, more than 70 of which feature international artists. Praised for its remarkable acoustics, rich concert programming, a cherished Fazioli piano, and refined dining, Opus has quickly ascended to the ranks of Europe’s top jazz clubs. It has become a destination for international jazz enthusiasts and curious listeners alike, drawn by a lineup that has included luminaries such as Dave Liebman, Irène Schweizer, Vincent Courtois, Daniel Erdmann, Akit Takase, Michel Portal, Louis Sclavis, Keith Tippett – and more recently, Leïla Martial, Valentin Ceccaldi, Théo Ceccaldi, Kit Downes, Clément Janinet, Kirke Karja, Thomas de Pourquery, and many more.
https://opusjazzclub.hu/en
BMC Records, established in 1998, has evolved into one of Europe’s premier independent labels, amassing a catalogue of over 350 releases. The label is deeply committed to honouring traditional musical values while promoting bold, experimental approaches. Through its releases, BMC has built lasting international recognition for many Hungarian artists and fostered fruitful collaborations between musicians and orchestras across borders. The catalogue spans the works of Hungary’s iconic composers – Liszt, Bartók, Ligeti, Kurtág, and Eötvös – performed by acclaimed artists such as Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Barbara Hannigan, Ensemble Modern, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. In the jazz realm, BMC Records has featured releases with giants like Archie Shepp, Chris Potter, Hans Lüdemann, and Émile Parisien. Numerous accolades from Midem, Jazzman, Deutsche Schallplatten, and Diapason Magazine, coupled with thousands of positive reviews in the global press, attest to the label’s growing influence in European music. Its releases are available both in CD format and online.
https://bmcrecords.hu/en
About the EJN Award for Adventurous Programming
Each year, since 2012, EJN the Europe-wide association of promoters, presenters and organisations who specialise in creative music, contemporary jazz and improvised music, awards an European promoter who exemplifies the values of EJN and skillfully succeeds to create visionary and fascinating musical programmes for the audience.
Previous winners of the EJN Award for Adventurous Programming have been: A L’Arme! Festival in Germany (2024), Le Guess Who? festival in the Netherlands (2022), Jazzfest Berlin by Berliner Festspiele in Germany (2021), Victoria-Nasjonal Jazzscene in Norway ex-aequo with Porgy and Bess in Austria (2020), JazzFest Sarajevo in Bosnia Herzegovina (2019), Jazz Festival Ljubljana in Slovenia (2018), Tampere Jazz Happening in Finland (2017), Manchester Jazz Festival in the UK (2016), Moers Festival in Germany (2015), Jazz em Agosto in Portugal (2014), Bimhuis in the Netherlands (2013) and 12 Points Festival in Ireland (2012).
The 3rd EJN Zenith Award for emerging artists goes to LIV ANDREA HAUGE TRIO from Norway
We are very happy to announce Liv Andrea Hauge Trio as the winner of the 3rd Zenith Award for emerging artists - an initiative launched by the Europe Jazz Network (EJN) in collaboration with 12 Points Festival, and supported by Creative Europe.
Liv Andrea Hauge Trio is composed of Liv Andrea Hauge (piano), Georgia Wartel Collins (double bass), and August Glännestrand (drums). They have been performing together since 2021, when the band was established by Liv Andrea following her selection for the first round of the Footprints project, funded by Creative Europe, and subsequently toured in Europe in countries including Slovenia, Hungary, Romania and the Netherlands. They have just released their first studio album ‘Ville Blomster’ on the prestigious Norwegian Hubro label. The trio was selected to perform as part of the official jazzahead! 2024 showcase programme on Thursday 11 April at 17h00.
The EJN Zenith Award was created in 2019 to shine a spotlight on a remarkable European ensemble or solo project working in creative jazz and improvised music. The winner is selected from the carefully curated 12 acts performing at the 12 Points festival, all coming from different European countries. The Award celebrates the ensemble’s ability to break musical boundaries while demonstrating an original approach to performance and a potential for a strong, ongoing international career. The name “Zenith Award” was adopted to reflect the level of excellence in the winning act, and its capacity to show a way forward for the future of creative music in Europe. The first recipients of the Zenith Award were Trio Heinz Herbert from Switzerland in 2019 and Nout from France in 2023.
For each award edition, the Europe Jazz Network nominates an international jury of artistic directors, all EJN members, to choose the winner out of the 12 bands performing at the festival. For this third edition of the Zenith Award, due to the cancellation of 12 Points Festival in 2023, the choice of the winning band was made by the Zenith Award jury through online meetings and digital evaluations, from a shortlist of the artists that were chosen to perform at the festival. Please see below the full list of shortlisted candidates.
In indicating their choice for Liv Andrea Hauge Trio, the jury underlined the maturity of the band, despite their very young age, their ability to create beautiful melodies and include them in open and shape-shifting soundscapes, and the outstanding interplay between the three musicians. It is a band that can play on every stage, from big festivals to intimate clubs, and that brings a fresh new reading to the piano trio format in its European configuration.
The jury of the 3rd Zenith Award consisted of: Csenge Hamod (Budapest Music Center, Hungary), Bogdan Benigar (Druga Godba, Slovenia), Igor Vida (Are You FREE? festival, Slovakia), Line Juul (Oslo Jazz festival, Norway) and Kenneth Killeen (Improvised Music Company/12 Points Festival, Ireland).
On being named the winners of the Zenith Award 2024, Liv Andrea Hauge commented: “Feeling super honoured and happy to get the opportunity to travel, play and share our music around Europe. We can’t wait to go on tour and meet all the people involved!”
Liv Andrea Hauge Trio will now receive an outstanding prize of performances and promotional opportunities from among the EJN membership, including a prestigious showcase at the 10th European Jazz Conference in front of over 400 music professionals from all over Europe and beyond in Ghent, Belgium (12-15 September 2024) as part of the showcase programme of the Conference.
EJN will also support additional international tours and concerts inside the EJN membership, setting up a communication and professional development strategy to promote the Zenith Award winners through its members and contacts and assisting in developing the winning act’s visibility and viability in the international arena.
About Liv Andrea Hauge Trio
Originally from Northern Norway, Oslo-based pianist Liv Andrea Hauge leads a trio with two Swedes, bassist Georgia Wartel Collins and drummer August Glännestrand. They were selected for the Footprints Europe programme, and their second album “Ville Blomster” has just been released on Hubro Records. Liv’s compositions focus on groove, simple and singable motifs and exploratory interplay. The music contains playfulness and melancholy in songs that always have a lot of room for improvisation. Hauge has been commissioned to write a major work for trio, three vocalists and full symphony orchestra for the opening of Bodø24 - European capital of culture.
Check out their Bandcamp, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Hubro webpage, and concert at Bimhuis (NL, March 2023).
The shortlisted projects for the 3rd EJN Zenith Award for emerging artists:
- Daahoud Salim Quintet; Spain. Spotify link.
- Dishwasher; Belgium. Bandcamp link. Spotify link.
- Inui; France. Soundcloud link. Spotify link.
- Liv Andrea Hauge Trio; Norway. Bandcamp link. Spotify link.
- moondiver; Ireland. Bandcamp link. Spotify link.
- NABOU; Netherlands. Bandcamp link. Spotify link.
- Olga Reznichenko Trio; Germany. Bandcamp link. Spotify link.
- PESH; Poland. Bandcamp link. Spotify link.
- Signe; Finland. Bandcamp link. Spotify link.
- Skylla; UK. Bandcamp link. Spotify link.
- Smag På Dig Selv; Denmark. Spotify link.
- Uassyn; Switzerland. Bandcamp link. Spotify link.
About 12 Points festival
12 Points is a dynamic festival of emerging European jazz established in 2007 by Dublin-based Improvised Music Company (IMC). The festival is nomadic, alternating between Dublin and other vibrant European cities. The 4 day festival presents 12 emerging acts from 12 different European countries. Over 600 young musicians from across Europe have performed at 12 Points since 2007. 12 Points is programmed each year through peer recommendations from a wide pool of jazz promoters and organisations across Europe to seek out the most exciting emerging acts from national and local jazz scenes across the continent. This exploratory approach to finding new talent earned 12 Points the inaugural Europe Jazz Network award for ‘Adventurous Programming’ in 2012. The next edition of 12 Points will take place in Tampere, Finland 25-28 September 2024, in partnership with G LiveLab.
www.12points.ie
