The fourth annual edition of the highly-acclaimed LetterOne "Rising Star" Jazz Award announced its winners over the weekend, naming trumpet player Itamar Borochov winner of the European Award.
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Some 725 up-and-coming artists took part in this year's competition. The prestigious award offered the winners the unprecedented opportunity to appear at popular Jazz festivals throughout Europe and North America, with all expenses covered – a monetary value in excess of $85,000, making the prize one of the most valuable Jazz awards in the world.
Borochov, 37, started playing trumpet at age 11. Immersed in jazz and the work of pioneering trumpet players such as Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong, he says he was influenced by Middle Eastern and North African music which he heard at his local synagogue. He studied jazz in New York, where he quickly established himself on the local scene. Once back in Europe, he released several albums, presenting a careful balance between technical playing and storytelling, all the while staying true to his roots and musical upbringing.
