Jarek Śmietana in Warsaw in 2010 Photo Credit: Henryk Kotowski/ Creative Commons

The inaugural Internatonal Jarek Śmietana Jazz Guitar Competition has just been announced, It is in honour of an indispensible figure in Polish jazz, the guitarist Jarosław (known as Jarek) Śmietana.

– Jury. The JURY will include Mike Stern, Ed Cherry and John Abercrombie.

– Prize money.  $10,000 First Prize, $5,000 Second Prize, $2,000 Third Prize. There will also be a special award funded by Śmietana’s widow and daughter Anna and Alicja Śmietana.

– Requirements for the final rounds. The Semi-Final and Final rounds will be held in Kraków on July 1-4. An important part of both these rounds will be for the contestants to have incorporated tunes by Jarek Śmietana into both their semi-final and final programmes.

– Costs. The semi-finalists and the six finalists who are invited to Kraków will need to cover their own expenses

– Entries – two audio files and one video file – need to be sent in by March 31st, accompanied by a non-refundable 30 Euro Registration Fee. The candidates will be informed if they have progressed through to the next round on May 7th

– Programme. There will be a gala concert finale, and also be jam sessions in the historic basement club, a jazz and cabaret club which has been an important symbol for Poland’s national identity and the part that jazz has played in it since the 1960’s, Piwnica Pod Baranami- Cave of the Rams. (More about its history).


LINKS: Internatonal Jarek Śmietana Jazz Guitar Competition website

Remembering Jarek Smietana – Hayley Redmond’s 2014 interview with Yaron Stavi
RIP Jarek Śmietana (1951-2013)
Review: Jarek Smietana at Jazz Cafe Posk, London in 2009