BBC Young Jazz Musician Final 2020 (Doug Peters/PA)
A 22-year-old pianist has been named the BBC Young Jazz Musician for 2020.
Deschanel Gordon, who was born in Hackney, north-east London, won the title after five finalists performed 15-minute sets, broadcast on BBC Four.
Gordon said: “I had an amazing time playing and hearing the other musicians in the finals.
Deschanel Gordon (Doug Peters/PA)
“Especially in a year where live music has been stifled, any opportunity to play is very special to me.”
The judging panel included British instrumentalists such as Orphy Robinson, who said Gordon “displayed a wonderful mature sound and approach”.
The finalists had to play their own renditions of music from the standard jazz repertoire, and at least one piece of their own arrangement or composition.
Gordon graduated from the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London this year and has collaborated with Mercury Prize-nominated SEED ensemble and Mark Kavuma’s The Banger Factory, and also has his own trio.
The other finalists were saxophonists Alex Clarke and Matt Carmichael, bassist Kielan Sheard and guitarist Ralph Porrett.
