Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Four Berklee Guitarists Vie for Preeminent Jazz Prize

15/11/2019

The Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition helped launch the careers of some of the genre's most acclaimed and enduring artists. Now, in its 31st year-its first as the renamed Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz International Competition-the event returns to Washington, D.C., December 2-3.

The contest spotlights a different instrument each year, with this years event focusing on the guitar. Israeli pianist and Berklee student Tom Oren took home first prize in 2018, becoming the sixth Berklee musician to win the competition. Next month, four Berklee alumni semifinalists-Cecil Alexander, Fran ois Chanvallon, Lucian Gray, and Matt Sewell-will compete for the chance to attach their names to this legacy.

Find Your Style

The Guitar Department helps you forge your artistic path, providing expert instruction in countless styles such as jazz, rock, metal, funk, classical, and microtonal music, among others.

The semifinals take place on Monday, December 2, at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. Each musician will have 15 minutes to perform in front of an all-star judging panel that includes Pat Metheny '96H, John Scofield '73, Lionel Loueke '00, Russell Malone, and Stanley Jordan. The judges will select three guitarists from this group to advance to the finals on Tuesday, December 3, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The first-prize winner will earn $30,000 in scholarship funds, and will be offered a recording contract with Concord Music Group. Beyond the financial reward, winning the title brings the awards substantial cultural cachet-crucial for a young artist seeking to carve out a career in the competitive world of jazz.

Since the first competition was held in 1987, nearly half the participants have come from Berklee. The institute has only held two previous guitar competitions: Lage Lund B.M. '00 won first prize in 2005, and Sheryl Bailey, assistant chair of Berklee's Guitar Department, placed third in 1995.

About the Semifinalists: Cecil Alexander Cecil Alexander B.M. '16, of Muskegon, Michigan, is a graduate of the Berklee and William Paterson University. He cofounded the group Visen in 2016 with fellow Berklee graduate Ari Jaye Alexander, and in 2017 the group released its first EP, Shoulder Deep. A winner of the 2017 Wilson Center Jazz Guitar Competition and the 2018 Lee Ritenour Six String Theory Competition in the jazz category, Alexander counts Peter Bernstein, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Jesse van Ruller among his key influences. He has performed or recorded with artists such as Nathan East, Luis Perdomo, James Weidman, and Pat Bianchi, to name a few.

Fran ois Chanvallon Fran ois Chanvallon B.M. '18, of Paris, France, began his musical training at age 10. After attending the IMEP Paris College of Music, he earned a Bachelor of Music with honors from Berklee. He has studied privately with Darren Barrett, Mick Goodrick, Rick Peckham, Jaleel Shaw, and Miguel Zen n, among others. Currently a masters degree candidate at the Manhattan School of Music, Chanvallon has worked with artists including Chris Cheek, Gary Burton, and Kurt Elling, and was a 2019 finalist in the 7 Virtual Jazz Club Competition. He appears on Darren Barrett's recent release The EVI Sessions: Mr. Steiner.

Lucian Gray Lucian Gray B.M. '12, of Toronto, Canada, attended Berklee on the prestigious Slaight Family Scholarship, studying with George Garzone, Mick Goodrick, Dave Santoro, and Mark Whitfield. He has appeared alongside notable artists such as Guido Basso, Il Divo, Molly Johnson, and Neil Swainson, among others, and has performed at prominent festivals throughout Canada, including the TD Toronto Jazz Festival, the Beaches Jazz Festival, and the Calgary Jazz Festival. Gray is currently head of jazz studies at Discovery through the Arts, a nonprofit music school in Toronto, and also plays the piano and upright and electric bass.

Matt Sewell Matt Sewell B.M. '19 is a native of St. Louis, Missouri, who began formal musical training on piano at age 7, ultimately settling on guitar at age 9. He recently graduated from Berklee, where he worked with artists including Terence Blanchard, Emanuel Harrold, Adam Larson, Quiana Lynell, and Noah Preminger. Sewell has appeared on major stages in the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, and Poland, including venues such as the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City, the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Ottawa Jazz Festival, and the Spoleto Festival USA.

Related categories:

News

Most Popular

Maleficent Composer: Every Note Points to the Story Geoff Zanelli B.M. 96 talks about his creative process, his deep love for fantasy films, and the importance of making mistakes.

Latest

Berklee Alumni Win Four Latin Grammys Nella picked up Best New Artist in a big night for Berklee at the 20th annual Latin Grammy Awards.

Berklee Announces First Gospel Summer Program The five-day performance program brings together gospels traditions with its contemporary cultural relevance, and will take place August 17-21, 2020.

Four Berklee Guitarists Vie for Preeminent Jazz Prize Berklee alumni make up a quarter of the semifinalists at the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz International Competition.

Read All

Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.

Berklee Blogs

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

Instagram

Snapchat

Soundcloud

Spotify
LINK: https://www.berklee.edu/news/berklee-now/four-berklee-alumni-selected-...
See more stories from berklee

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

06/09/2026

Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Germany with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/07/2026

Call for NFVF funding applications to attend Film Festivals and Markets taking place from 01 August 2026 - 31 October 2026

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...

01/07/2026

FCC Plans to Auction 160 MHZ of Midband Spectrum

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

01/07/2026

CBS Miami Launches Hope 4 Venezuela' Relief Effort

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

01/07/2026

Riedel, SKAARHOJ Expand Collaboration With SimplyLive Integration

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

01/07/2026

Gray Media to Buy American Spirit Media's TV Stations

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

01/07/2026

Cascade PBS Launches App Solution Provider 'Local Public

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

01/07/2026

Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camerabag collection for modern hybrid creators

Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...

01/07/2026

Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition

Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition Brie Clayton July 1, 2026 0 Comments Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...

01/07/2026

Riedel, SKAARHOJ Expand Collaboration WithSimplyLive Integration

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

01/07/2026

PlayBox Technology Publishes State of Broadcast Infrastru...

PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...

01/07/2026

Jigsaw24 Appoints Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media a...

LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...

01/07/2026

Content Vault Partner with XMA to Distribute Universal Fi...

Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...

01/07/2026

Bitcentral Announces Strategic Evolution to Create Two F...

Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...

01/07/2026

Adder Technology Names Neil Hillier as CEO

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

01/07/2026

IBCAP Opens New Anti-Piracy Lab in Denver

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

01/07/2026

FCC Plans to Auction 160 MHZ of Mid-Band Spectrum

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

01/07/2026

CBS Miami Launches 'Hope 4 Venezuela' Relief Effort

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

01/07/2026

Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through national partnership

Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through nation...

01/07/2026

Chyron Launches the All-New Chyron Academy: A Reimagined, Hands-On Learning Experience for Live Broadcast Production

Chyron Launches the All-New Chyron Academy: A Reimagined, Hands-On Learning Expe...

01/07/2026

Amplium Captures Kawasaki Brave Thunders Game with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive

Amplium Captures Kawasaki Brave Thunders Game with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersiv...

01/07/2026

Boris FX Optics Expands Plugin Support to Apple Photos, Capture One, and Affinity Photo

Boris FX Optics Expands Plugin Support to Apple Photos, Capture One, and Affinit...

01/07/2026

Fussy asks Britain one simple question: Are you a Tosser?

Sky Zero Footprint Fund-backed TV campaign featuring Deborah Meaden challenges consumers to rethink everyday bathroom wasteWednesday 1 July 2026 Fussy asks Bri...

01/07/2026

New Sky research reveals postcode lottery leaving girls behind in sport

Constituency-level analysis reveals where girls miss out most on sport - and where targeted action could unlock more than £640 million in economic and health be...

01/07/2026

Riedel and SKAARHOJ Expand Collaboration With SimplyLive Integration

Wuppertal July 1, 2026 Riedel and SKAARHOJ Expand Collaboration With SimplyLive IntegrationRiedel Communications today announced an expanded collaboration wit...

01/07/2026

Apple Creator Studio gets smarter, faster, and more connected - UPDATE - Posted on 30 June 2026

Apple today introduced power-packed updates to Apple Creator Studio, a groundbre...

01/07/2026

Nectar360 becomes first UK Retail Media Network to achieve IAB Europe Certification following independent ABC audit

Nectar360, the Retail Media, Loyalty and Insights business of the Sainsburys Gro...

01/07/2026

FIFA World Cup delivers strong audiences across all RT platforms

9.2 million streams on RT Player between 11 and 28 June Reach of 2.9 million viewers during Group stages of FIFA World Cup on RT 2 23 million video views acr...

30/06/2026

Entries open for Thomson's Young Journalist Award 2026

Could your journalism reach an international stage? Entries are now open for the Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist Award 2026, one of the most prestigi...

30/06/2026

CazTVs 12 ENG Teams Across North America Keep Brazilian Fans on Top of World Cup

As Brazil's only way for fans to see all 104 matches, YouTube channel proves the power of digital...

30/06/2026

UJAM release Retrocraft multi-effects

Brings together saturation & lo-fi effects Following on from the release of their Voxcraft vocal-processing plug-in, UJAM have announced the launch of Retro...

30/06/2026

Zensphere v2 from Rapid Flow

New IR reverb engine, Juno-inspired chorus & more The latest version of Rapid Flow's hardware-emulation synth plug-in expands on its predecessor with a ...

30/06/2026

Shy Audio release Shy 90s Smack

Excels at heavy-handed VCA compression For their latest release, Shy Audio have recreated the crunchy' sound of a rackmount compressor that found its w...

30/06/2026

Apple raise Mac & iPad prices

Component scarcity drives cost increases Shortly after Apple's CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that cost increases would soon be inevitable , the company hav...

30/06/2026

Statement regarding GetUp Save Our SBS' campaign

Statement regarding GetUp Save Our SBS' campaign 30 June, 2026 Media releases The GetUp Save Our SBS' campaign is an independent initiative. SBS ...

30/06/2026

The First Hitachi Cash Recycling Devices in the EU Were Deployed at Bank Pekao S.A.

Hitachi and Bank Pekao S.A. have completed the installation of the first Hitachi...

30/06/2026

Clear-Com Upgrades Communication Systems for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune

eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......

30/06/2026

Telemundo, Peacock See More Record Setting World Cup Audiences

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/06/2026

FOR-A America Adds Two Execs to U.S. Sales Team

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/06/2026

A3SA Disputes Weigel Assertions that NextGen TV Threatens EAS

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/06/2026

MainStreaming Selected by ITV to Support Delivery of ITVX...

MainStreaming, the award-winning and innovative Edge Video Delivery Network, today announced that it has been selected by ITV to support the delivery of ITVX, I...

30/06/2026

Chyron Launches New Chyron Academy

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/06/2026

Clear-Com Upgrades Communication Systems for Jeopardy and...

When Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! needed to upgrade their wireless communications system, they turned to Clear-Com FreeSpeak wireless for their iconic televi...

30/06/2026

Supreme Court Gives Trump Tight Control over Independent Regulators

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/06/2026

Rocket Lab to Acquire Iridium in $8 Billion Deal

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/06/2026

Kyocera AVX Releases New Web-Based Antenna Integration Tool

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...