Student Music Competition

September 1 - October 15, 2026

student competition

2026 Competition

The Suncoast Jazz Festival is celebrating its 36th year, November 20-22, 2026 at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater Beach, Florida.  Festival attendees will hear a variety of music, including mainstream jazz, swing, early jazz, music from the Great American Songbook, Zydeco, and even a touch of gospel.

This year we invite student musicians to participate in the third Suncoast Jazz Festival Student Musician Competition. The Student Musician Competition will be held remotely, between September 1st and October 15th, 2026.

2025 Student Competition winners

2026 Prizes and Benefits

  1. All student musicians who send in a submission will receive two adult single day tickets to attend this year’s Festival.  Students may attend Festival at no charge.

  1. All student musicians who send in a submission will be invited to attend our Festival’s Master Class held on Friday afternoon, November 20st, 2026.

  2. Prizes: (divided equally when more than one musician is in the submission)

  • 1st prize - $1000 scholarship, plus an opportunity to jam with a festival band.

  • 2nd prize - $500 scholarship

  • 3rd prize - $250 scholarship

students perform

Competition Criteria

  1. Slating (Your introduction)

  2. Preparedness

  3. Stage presence

  4. Articulation

  5. Musicality

Students playing at the Jazz Festival

Eligibility and Submission Criteria

  1. Students ages 12 to 20 are eligible

  2. An entry can include one to six musicians (solos, ensembles, or combos).

  3. Each submission must include the following:

    (a) for each student - name, age, and contact (e.g., email, phone, and mailing address),

    (b) school name,

    (c) name and contact information for the music teacher or band director, and

    (d) a link to your performance video uploaded to Youtube, Vimeo, or a platform of your choice.

  4. The submission should consist of a performance video clip of one arrangement.

  5. Email the submission to SuncoastJazzFestival@gmail.com between September 1 and October 15, 2025.

CONGRATS WINNERS

2025

1st Place

Andrew Yuska

2nd Place

Kevin Milford, Mathayas Jones, Julian Pratt, Drew Wineberg


3rd Place

Silas McInnis, Dylan SiFuentes, Micah Perez, Golden Chan, Grant Macy

2024

1st Place

Trevor Ball & Thomas Mendez

2nd Place

Ethan Miller, Luc NeJame, Dereck Torres-Velez, Omar Maldonado, Russell Distelhurst

Silhouette of a palm tree
Silhouette of a palm tree