For the past four years, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) has hosted the Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition in honor of the great jazz singer born and raised in Newark, NJ. On Sunday, November 15, the competition’s five finalists competed for a chance at the grand prize — a recording contract with Concord Records, a $5,000 cash prize, and a slot at the 2016 Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, sponsored by TD Bank. Arianna Neikrug, a Miami-based jazz/pop/R&B vocalist originally from Los Angeles, was named the winner.
The second place winner of the competition was Angela Hagenbach from Kansas City, who was awarded a $1,500 cash prize, and the third place winner was Nicole Zuraitis from Brooklyn, who received a $500 cash award. Emma Lee Aboukasm and Lulu Fall rounded out the finalists.
“I cannot accurately put into words how grateful, honored, humbled, and downright excited I am to have won,” exclaimed Neikrug. “This is just the first step of a long, incredibly fulfilling, beautiful life of music for me.”
Only 22 years old, Neikrug graduated from the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music in May with a Bachelor of Music degree in Studio Music/Jazz Vocal Performance and with an Outstanding Senior award from her department. Neikrug has performed at some of the hottest jazz clubs in the U.S., such as the Catalina Jazz Club in Los Angeles and DazzleJazz in Denver. She has shared stages with artists such as Al Jarreau, Steve Miller, Alice Cooper, Kenny Burrell, Neil Young, Mindy Abair, James Moody, George Benson, Karrin Allyson, Gretchen Parlato, and Roseanna Vitro.
John Schreiber, President and CEO of New Jersey Performing Arts Center said, “Everyone at the Arts Center sends their congratulations to Arianna – an expressive, creative, exciting and swinging new voice in jazz. We look forward to her success in seasons to come.”
The Sarah Vaughan Competition, also known as The SASSY Awards, provides a platform for one outstanding jazz singer to launch a career within the music business. Jazz fans were encouraged to vote for their favorite vocalist on NJPAC’s social media platforms, where they were able to listen to an audio track submitted by the five finalists. The competition, co-produced by NJPAC and WBGO, is presented as part of the TD James Moody Jazz Festival.
Entrants from all around the globe, such as Australia, Italy, Canada and the Czech Republic were represented on the website. A total of 119 were deemed eligible submissions. The competition also drew more than 2 million social media impressions.
Judges for the competition included Grammy Award-winning bassist Christian McBride, WBGO – Jazz 88.3 host Michael Bourne, acclaimed jazz vocalist Vanessa Rubin, Edward Arrendell, founder of The Management Ark, a personal management firm for leading entertainers, and Cyrille Aimée, the first winner of NJPAC’s Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition.
The Concord arrangement is a three-year commitment by the record label to present an exclusive recording contract offer to the winner of the annual competition. “It’s always great to be involved in the process of discovering and nurturing new artists and working together in the development of their careers,” said Wexler, COO of the Concord Label Group.
In related news, Jazzmeia Horn, the 2013 winner of the Sarah Vaughan competition and who works as a teaching artist with NJPAC, won first prize in the 2015 Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition in Los Angeles.
Photo by Tony Graves
