Wall-to-wall jazz

GENERATIONS in Jazz, the premier national festival showcasing Australia’s most promising young jazz musicians, has again been an unmitigated success as dynamic special guest artist performances, the scholarships and other competitions created a wall of sound from May 2-4.

More than 4300 aspiring young musicians converged on the OB Flat site at The Barn and GIJ music director Jordan Murray was thrilled with the standard of the 2025 event.

“Every year, I find myself questioning how we can possibly top the previous one, yet time and again, we discover even more remarkable talent,” he said. “The skills these young musicians possess are simply astonishing. It’s not just the winners, who have rightfully earned recognition as the best in Australia; the overall level of talent and musicianship displayed this year has been nothing short of extraordinary.”

GIJ Board chair Christine Comley expressed her deep appreciation to the local community for their steadfast support, especially recognising the many dedicated volunteers who contribute to making this event so special.

“Our volunteers have been remarkable this year,” she said. “While many of us see them providing meals or assisting guests to their seats, there is a vast team working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that this event remains the biggest and best of its kind in Australia. It’s easy to overlook the incredible effort that goes into making it all happen.

“On behalf of the Generations in Jazz Board, I want to express our immense gratitude not only to our selfless volunteers but also to the wider community that embraces this event. It exemplifies the warm hospitality of our Limestone Coast, and we are genuinely fortunate to host an event of this magnitude in our region.”

RESULTS:

City of Mount Gambier Stage Band Award Division 1: St Peter’s Collage, SA

District Council Grant Vocal Ensemble Award:

Division 1 Large, Wilderness School, SA

Division 1 Small, Wesley Collage, St Kilda, VIC

The James Morrison Jazz Scholarship sponsored by Benara Pastoral: Rhys Moore NSW

The Generations in Jazz Vocal Sponsorship sponsored by ANZ: Maisie Aitkin SA