Jazz prize for Marina Schlagintweit and Stephan Deller

This year's Jutta Hipp Prize of the Saxony Jazz Association goes to Marina Schlagintweit and Stephan Deller with their respective ensembles. The honorary prize will be awarded to Eckard Schleiermacher and his Saxstall Pohrsdorf, the organizers announced. Schlagintweit and her band Large will receive the prize of 3,000 euros each in the composition category, while Deller and his formation Trio Motusneu will receive the prize for improvisation. They beat off competition from more than 60 applicants. The award ceremony will take place on May 22 at Malzhaus Plauen.

The prize is named after the Leipzig-born jazz musician Jutta Hipp (1925-2003). She would have been 100 years old in February this year. Hipp had moved to the USA in the 1950s and worked with various jazz greats there. She was the first white female musician to be signed to the Blue Note label. Hipp is considered a pioneer for women in jazz. The Saxony Jazz Association plans to award the prize named after her every two years.