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Winners Announced for 1999 Piano Jazz Improvisation Competition: Nial Djuliarso of Jakarta and David Forrest of California
Story and photos by Linda Shockley
"Playing with the faculty, and later with Nial, was definitely the highlight of the competition weekend for me. The faculty created such a solid pocket for me to play in…any notion of nervousness on my part dissolved three notes into the first song! I remember when I started to map the songs out, the faculty said, 'Just play, we'll be there.'" And they were there. I can't wait to play with them again and learn from them at Oberlin."
That's what David Forrest, incoming Conservatory freshman, said following his performance with the jazz faculty during the 1999 Oberlin Conservatory Piano Jazz Improvisation Competition, held Saturday, April 17, in Warner Concert Hall. For the competition, jazz faculty members performed with and scored the two finalists. Faculty judges included teacher of jazz piano Neal Creque, associate professor of jazz studies and double bass Peter Dominguez, teacher of jazz ensembles and trumpet Kenneth Davis, teacher of jazz guitar Robert Ferrazza, teacher of jazz saxophone Donald Walden, and teacher of jazz percussion Greg Bandy.
High school seniors Nial Djuliarso and
David Forrest were awarded first
and second place, respectively, in the competition.
Djuliarso, who hails from Jakarta, is presently living in
Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he attends McCallie High. He
has participated in summer offerings at Interlochen Arts
Academy and Berklee School of Music. He lists his musical
influences as Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Oscar Peterson,
Red Garland, Miles Davis, Kenny Barron, Wynton Kelly, Dexter
Gordon, Thelonius Monk, McCoy Tyner, Gene Harris and Keith
Jarrett.
For the competition Djuliarso performed Billie's Bounce by Charlie Parker, Sophisticated Lady by Duke Ellington, and Oleo by Sonny Rollins, and Ask Me Now by Thelonius Monk. He said of performing with the jazz faculty, "It's hard to describe in words how I felt during the competition. I don't get that feeling everyday. I felt very fortunate to have played with Greg Bandy and Peter Dominguez. What great musicians and people they are!"
David Forrest, of Sherman Oaks, California, flew in from Exeter, New Hampshire, where he attends Phillips Exeter Academy. For the competition, he performed Matrix - blues in F by Chick Corea, Sophisticated Lady by Duke Ellington, Oleo by Sonny Rollins and Peggy's Blue Skylight by Charles Mingus.
"Records have been my only sources for
learning to play jazz, so I listen to
music all the time. I've been inspired by many musicians,
not just pianists. Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Hank Jones,
Bill Evans, Cecil Taylor and Ahmad Jamal are among the
pianists who have had the greatest affect on my playing.
Other instrumentalists like Elvin Jones, John Coltrane, Ron
Carter, Joe Henderson, Charles Mingus and Cal Tjader (to
name a few) have taught me just as much."
Greg Bandy, teacher of jazz percussion, said of the competitors, "Both of these cats were very good. I have played with greatest musicians in the world and I was totally impressed with both of them. Nial, especially, was tremendous: ridiculously good. He had a great repertoire, a great attitude, was seriously on the money. I wasn't expecting so much from these competitors so it was a lesson to me. It's inspiring to see two musicians so young who are so serious and so far ahead of the game."
Following the competition, Djuliarso and Forrest pushed the two Steinways of Warner Concert Hall together on stage and played for two hours. Both agreed the Steinways were "awesome." While on campus, they separately caught a number of offerings, including a Jazz Forum, a performance by the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble, and a performance by visiting artists Natraj. Forrest also caught a late night "happening" in the Con lounge. He described it this way: "Yeah, one guy played a wine glass for three hours. And he had sheet music!"
For the competition, applicants aged 16-20, were required to send in a completed application with videotape that included a performance of four jazz tunes. Required compositions included the jazz standards Sophisticated Lady (Duke Ellington), and a choice of either Peggy's Blue Skylight (Charles Mingus) or Ask Me Now (Thelonius Monk). Other requirements included a blues tunes with applicant choice of melody and a composition based on rhythm changes (applicant choice of melody).
Prizes included $750 and $500 cash awards, eligibility for an Oberlin Conservatory merit scholarship, and a public performance with the Oberlin jazz faculty rhythm section, to be broadcast on the Cleveland-based National Public Radio affiliate, WCPN (90.3 FM).
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