Vienna's Spheres of a Genius Award Announced

Austrian composer and professor for jazz arrangement and composition Christoph Cech won first prize

Produced in cooperation with the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, the international jazz composition competition is presented by JAM MUSIC LAB University (JMLU). This year's competition paid tribute to composer Leonard Bernstein.

Cech's award-winning work will be premiered on October 8th, 2021 in the Grand Hall of the Konzerthaus Vienna under the direction of chief conductor Marin Alsop. The concert will be recorded by ORF.

Christoph Cech, Austrian composer and professor for jazz arrangement and composition at the Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität in Linz, was chosen out of almost 100 applicants from numerous nations.

The jury members included Marin Alsop, Christoph Becher, Bill Dobbins, and Marcus Ratka.

Second prize went to Florin Gorgos, while joint third prize was awarded to Gabriel Evens, Adam Jones, and Dmytro Malyi.

RSO and JMLU are continuing their collaboration from 2017/18, in which the first "Spheres of a Genius" competition was based on the 100th birthday of the jazz composer and pianist Thelonious Monk.