The Ben Fitzpatrick Quintet has won the first edition of the Grachtenfestival Jazz Competition. The jury, formed by Frank van Berkel, Vincent Henar, Benjamin Herman, Denise Jannah and Bert Vuijsje, was very impressed with the band and awarded them the Professional Jury Prize. Chair of the jury Frank van Berkel: ‘The music was felt in the heart. The bandleader was leading the band personally and musically. It was grooving, driving, forcing.’
With this the band has earned a place at the festival: they will perform on 22 August at 14.00 and 16.00h at the Hermitage, Amsterdam.
Additionally, the Ben Fitzpatrick Quintet was awarded the Denise Jannah Award: a concert together with Denise Jannah on Wednesday 18 August at 20.00h at the Duif, Amsterdam.
The members of the Ben Fitzpatrick Quintet are Ben Fitzpatrick, saxophone; Álvaro Artime Jiménez, trumpet, Massimo Imperatore, guitar; Matteo Mazzù, bass guitar, and Nitin Parrée, drums. Ben, Matteo and Nitin study in the master programme, Álvaro in the bachelor programme, and Massimo is a CvA alumnus.
Having organised the Grachtenfestival Conservatory Competition for eighteen years, the Grachtenfestival organised the very first Jazz Competition this year, in order to offer jazz musicians a stage during the festival.