UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra is organizing an online composition masterclass in collaboration with the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, Austria and the Sibelius Academy of the Uniarts Helsinki.

The online livestreams are free and open for anyone interested. The livestream can be watched on UMO Helsinki’s YouTube channel for seven days. The discussion will be in English and can be participated in the comment field of the video.

UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra plays new music written by composition students, which provides discussion and valuable feedback between the students and the orchestra. The orchestra and the discussion will be conducted by Ed Partyka.

Composition students have been selected for the project in collaboration with the universities. A total of 14 students from 9 countries are involved. The composers from the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz 9–11 November are Derek Plunkie, Nobuo Watanabe, Daniel Hofecker, Emiliano Sampaio, Ursula Reicher, Daniel Varga and Tobias Hoffmann.

UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra’s Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Ed Partyka works as a professor for Jazz Composition & Arranging at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, Austria. He also currently coaches student composers and arrangers at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.

– Probably the most valuable experience for a young composer is to have their music played by a professional, world-class jazz orchestra, and get some feedback and support directly from the musicians. This is wonderful opportunity for UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra to delve deeper into the area of jazz education at the university level, and the orchestra will “meet” some of Europe’s most talented young writers. Helping to support emerging artists is something that has always been a part of UMO’s DNA, and this new project will broaden the scope of that support. And, who knows, maybe some future UMO composer/arrangers will be among the students involved in this new and exciting project, says Ed Partyka.

The masterclasses are part of the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra’s audience outreach.

Schedules:

Online Composition Masterclass w/ the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, Austria

Monday 9.11.
10:30–11:15 Rehearsal Derek Plunkie
11:15–12:00 Rehearsal Nobuo Watanabe
13:00–13:45 Run-through & open discussion Nobuo Watanabe
14:00–14:45 Run-through & open discussion Derek Plunkie

Tuesday 10.11.
10:30–11:15 Rehearsal Daniel Hofecker
11:30–12:15 Rehearsal Emiliano Sampaio
13:00–13:45 Run-through & open discussion Emiliano Sampaio
14:00–14:45 Run-through & open discussion Daniel Hofecker

Wednesday 11.11.
10:30–11:15 Rehearsal Ursula Reicher
11:30–12:15 Rehearsal Daniel Varga
13:00–13:45 Run-through & open discussion Daniel Varga
14:00–14:45 Run-through & open discussion Ursula Reicher

Monday 16.11.
11:30–12:15 Rehearsal Tobias Hoffmann
13:00–13:45 Run-through & open discussion Tobias Hoffmann

See the schedule for Online Composition Masterclass w/ the Sibelius Academy of the Uniarts Helsinki here.