15 year old wins White Fdtn World Saxophone Competition

[Lois Gilbert]

The third White Foundation World Saxophone Competition took place at this year’s London Jazz Festival in association with BBC Radio 3 and saw 15 year old Italian Francesco Cafiso emerge as winner from amongst 50 entrants from 13 countries including Australia, France, Hungary, UK, USA, Sweden and The Netherlands.

The competition was the brainchild of entrepreneur and jazz enthusiast, Jeremy White, whose White Foundation organised and sponsored the event. The distinguished jury included British jazz legend Peter King, BBC Radio 3 presenter and The London Times jazz critic Alyn Shipton and tenor saxophonist and Guildhall School of Music professor Jean Toussaint. Guest jurists included saxophonists Alan Skidmore, Denys Baptiste and Simon Bates and Director of Dune Records, Gary Crosby.

The candidates, who must be under 30 years old, competed for ten places in the semi-finals that were held over two nights during the famous jazz festival in London. The four finalists were Willow Nielson, aged 26 (Australia), Francesco Cafiso, aged 15 (Italy), Paul van der Feen, aged 26 (The Netherlands), and Xavier Perez, aged 26 (USA).

Francesco Cafiso was awarded a Custom saxophone and cash prize of £2,000 donated by Yamaha, concert performances at PizzaExpress Jazz Club and Ronnie Scott’s, London and “Highlights in Jazz’ series, New York as well as an audition with Blue Note Records, editorial coverage in media partner Jazzwise magazine, signed photographs of jazz legends by Lee Tanner and legal advice from one of the music industry’s top lawyers.

The second prize of £1,000 ($1,500) was won by Xavier Perez, third prize of £330 ($500) by Willow Neilson and fourth of £330 ($500) by Paul Van der Feen, all donated by the White Foundation.

Francesco Cafiso is already becoming a veteran of the jazz scene. At 9 years old he was playing in the Mediterranean Jazz Orchestra. Aged 12 he won the National Massimo Urbani Award and won first prize in the International Eurojazz Competition. He opened the 30th Pescara Jazz Festival with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Francesco impressed Wynton so much that he was invited to join him on a 40 day European tour last year. Since then he has performed at the Umbria Jazz Festival and the IAJE in New York.

' With all due respect to the fine young saxophonists that entered this year's competition, Cafiso's exciting performance, with his fearless, freeflowing stream of ideas and intensely 'hot' sound, meant there was only one possible outcome.' Jazzwise

NOTES
The White Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting the performing arts. It aims is to promote excellence in jazz and ballet bringing educational programmes to young people. As well as establishing the World Saxophone Competition, the White Foundation launched the Vevey Youth Ballet in Switzerland in 2002. For further information please contact: Emma Perry, General Manager, White Foundation (info@whitefoundation.com).