Generations In Jazz

2026 James Morrison Scholarship winner Johnny Turner is going on tour from the 29th of June to the 8th of July, with shows in Perth, Sydney, and Melbourne. A keen multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and educator, Johnny has quickly established a growing national profile within Australia’s contemporary jazz scene.

This tour will feature 4 shows and a variety of local musicians playing Johnny’s contemporary original jazz music, of which you can get a sneak peak by listening to his debut album “The Journey to Come” (2025) on all streaming services.

Johnny made the following comment: “I’m super excited to be going on tour and for some incredible musicians to be playing my original music! If you come to a gig make sure to come and say hi during one of the set breaks!”

The Future Finalists Award, sponsored by Blanchard, recognises 6 students whose exceptional talent recognises them as future GIJ scholarship finalists.

Congratulations to Marco Rugari from Concordia College (SA) for being named the winner for 2026, along with the outstanding finalists:

Isaac Wicklein - Blackburn High School (VIC)
Isaac Kennedy - Wesley College St Kilda Road Campus (VIC)
Ned Manifold - St Peter's College (SA)
Hugh Loipersberger - Marryatville High School (SA)
Elinor Hughes - Brighton Secondary School (SA)

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With more awards than ever this year, we proudly celebrated sectional awards across each division—bringing even greater recognition and inspiration for students to strive for and achieve.

SBA Division 1 Awards

BEST SAXOPHONE SECTION - Marryatville High School (SA)
BEST TRUMPET SECTION - St Peter's College (SA)
BEST TROMBONE SECTION - St Peter's College (SA)

Introducing the Division 1 SUPERBAND who performed at the Awards Ceremony on Sunday:

Alto Saxophone 1 – Tommy Guo (Marryatville High School, SA)
Alto Saxophone 2 – Ulani Rangai (Concordia College, SA)
Tenor Saxophone 1 – Oliver Sainsbury (Brighton Secondary School, SA)
Tenor Saxophone 2 – Julien Lee (Blackburn High School, VIC)
Baritone Saxophone – Ryan Tillman (Marryatville High School, SA)
Trumpet 1 – Oscar Kleinig (St Peter's College, SA)
Trumpet 2 – Marco Rugari (Concordia College, SA)
Trumpet 3 – Elinor Hughes (Brighton Secondary School, SA)
Trumpet 4 – Isaac Kennedy (Wesley College – St Kilda Road Campus, VIC)
Trumpet 5 – Isabella D’Ambrosio (Marryatville High School, SA)
Trombone 1 – Ned Manifold (St Peter's College, SA)
Trombone 2 – Tim Yuan (St Leonard's College, VIC)
Trombone 3 – Janet Wang (Westminster School, SA)
Trombone 4 – Hunter Di Blasio (St Peter's College, SA)
Piano – Samara Azzopardi (Blackburn High School, VIC)
Guitar – Will Adams-Leask (St Peter's College, SA)
Bass – Henri Cowan (Brighton Secondary School, SA)
Drums – Shaarav Reddy (St Peter's College, SA)
Vibraphone – Peter Kompos (Wesley College – St Kilda Road Campus, VIC)

An outstanding ensemble showcasing incredible talent from the students of Division 1!

The winner of the Stage Band Division 1 - Callisto Family Most Promising Pianist Award is Ryan Weinert from St Peter's College (SA)

Congratulations Ryan and St Peter's College for an outstanding accomplishment and thank you to the Callisto Family for supporting the next generation of jazz musicians. 🎹

Congratulations to Oscar Kleinig from St Peter’s College (SA) who is the winner of Division 1 Most Outstanding Trumpet Player sponsored by Billy Hyde Music. What an inspiring achievement and exciting step in your music journey!🎺

The National Stage Band Division 1 - Best Rhythm Section Award

Congratulations to St Peter's College (SA) for winning this award, and the talented students whose outstanding teamwork and musicianship earned this recognition for their school:

BASS: Quinn Murphy
DRUMS: Shaarav Reddy
GUITAR: Will Adams-Leask
PIANO: Devon Xu
VIBRAPHONE: Ryan Weinert

A well-deserved achievement demonstrating excellence in ensemble performance. Thanks to Billy Hyde Music, St Peter's College has won a voucher to support their ongoing music development.

billyhydemusic.com.au

City of Mount Gambier National Stage Band Award Winners for Division 1:

1st Place: St Peter's College (SA)
2nd Place: Marryatville High School (SA)
3rd Place: Concordia College (SA)

A huge congratulations to all Division 1 winners! To place at such a high standard is a huge achievement and a testament to your dedication, talent, and hard work.

It's been a month since Generations in Jazz so it's time to look back at the highlights of an incredible weekend! Follow along as we celebrate the amazing performances and recognise the winners of 2026, starting with the Stage Band Awards generously sponsored by the City of Mount Gambier.

www.mountgambier.sa.gov.au