The Wangaratta Festival of Jazz & Blues has announced the 2024 finalists for the National Jazz Awards. 

For its 34th edition, six saxophonists under the age of 36 have been chosen to compete: Michael Avgenicos, Jayden Blockley, Oscar Bruten, Stephen Byth, Ben Lerner and Tessie Overmyer.

Ben Lerner is a recent graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and will begin a Masters program at the Manhattan School of Music in 2025. He also leads his own quartet, which is set to perform at Sydney’s upcoming Inner West Jazz Fest.

Tessie Overmyer. Photo © Shane Rozario

Now based in New York City, Newcastle-born saxophonist Tessie Overmyer will also undertake a Masters at the Manhattan School of Music. Her performance credits include the Sydney and Perth International Jazz Festivals and the US Newport Jazz Festival. She is also the recipient of a 2024 ABC Composer Commissioning Fund.

Fellow competitor Melbourne-born saxophonist Stephen Byth is also a NYC resident, currently recording his second album. His debut album, Reparations,...