Ö1 Jazzstipendium 2025: Win a full scholarship + CD production!
Ö1 awards the “Ö1 Jazz Scholarship” for the eighth time. The winner receives a scholarship for two years of study at the JAM MUSIC LAB Private University for Jazz and Popular Music and a CD production with Quinton Records.
Since 2018, the ORF radio station Ö1 has been supporting young, promising jazz musicians in and from Austria in the form of the “Ö1 Jazz Scholarship” in order to give them more visibility and a hearing and to provide valuable career impulses.musicians up to the age of 28 can apply. In addition to the scholarship, the scholarship holder will also benefit from a CD production - in collaboration with the Viennese label Quinton Records by producer Andreas Rathammer.
Application procedure, audition:
Interested applicants can apply by March 25, 2025 by e-mail to oe1-stipendium@jammusiclab.com with the following documents:
- Description or documentation of previous musical experiences and projects as well as previous musical training. A CV and a photo of the musician (at least 300 dpi).
- An uncut video with 2-3 meaningful musical performances by the applicant (preferably a recording of a live performance; professional image quality is not required, a cell phone recording is sufficient).
- Final round (live performance by the best applicants): On April 7, 2025 at the ORF Funkhaus, Vienna.
- The scholarship certificate will be presented to the winner on Ö1 Jazz Day, April 30, 2025, during the evening Ö1 concert broadcast live on air.
Selection criteria
- The scholarship is awarded to Austrian citizens and non-Austrian citizens who are resident in Austria.
- Instrumentalists and vocalists up to the age of 28 (at the time of application) who fulfill the formal requirements for studying are eligible.
- The scholarship holder is characterized by a spirit of innovation and originality in his/her sophisticated musical language. As a performer, he/she demonstrates openness and the ability for outstanding musical communication and interaction. His/her music expresses the exciting interrelations between the style-defining tradition and the composed and improvised forms of contemporary jazz.
- The scholarship holder will be available for two performances at Ö1 events (by arrangement with Ö1).
- Application deadline: March 25, 2025
The first winner, Carinthian saxophonist Robert Unterköfler, was presented with the scholarship certificate on April 30, 2018 - the Ö1 Jazz Day. He has since made a name for himself with the release of the quintet CD “Rote Welt” and as a member of Christian Muthspiel's Orjazztra Vienna. 2019 saw the success of Upper Austrian drummer Lukas Aichinger, who has already released three albums with the sextet AHL6. In 2020, it was violinist Constanze Friedel, who comes from Ilmenau in the German state of Thuringia and has lived in Vienna since 2014, who impressed the high-caliber jury. Madeleine Kaindl won the jazz scholarship in 2021. The saxophonist and singer released her debut project “Madeleine & the Hildeguards: Knef re:loaded” in early 2022.
The scholarship in 2022 was won by 21-year-old pianist Alan Bartuš, who reached the semi-finals of the world-renowned Herbie Hancock International Piano Competition in 2023. Andreas Varady won in 2023. The exceptional guitarist was discovered by star producer Quincy Jones as a teenager and is currently studying at the JAM MUSIC LAB private university in Vienna. The winner of the Ö1 Jazz Scholarship 2024 is the extremely talented bassist Nina Feldgrill. In addition to her activities in numerous projects, she also came second in the “Best Newcomer” category of the Austrian Jazz Prize, which was awarded for the first time in 2024, and is an integral part of the Austrian jazz scene.
The winner of the Ö1 Jazz Scholarship 2025 will be chosen by a new jury, which has been expanded to six members: Elke Tschaikner (Head of the Ö1 Music Department), Didi Petschl (ORF-Fernseh-Kultur), guitarist and educator Wolfgang Muthspiel, New York producer Jeffrey Levenson, Anke Fischer (Elbphilharmonie Hamburg) and Andreas Felber (Ö1 Jazz Editorial Team).
