WINNER – RICARDO ARANA

Ricardo Arana has been named as the winner of the 2025 NBA Young Composers Jazz Composition Contest with his original work “Opportunity and Freedom.”  During the 2025 Midwest Clinic in Chicago, Ricardo will be recognized at the National Band Association General Membership Meeting (Thursday, December 18, 4:00 PM) and will also have his winning composition performed by the United States Air Force Band Airmen of Note (Thursday, December 18, 7:30 PM).

Ricardo Arana is an award-winning composer, orchestrator, and arranger based in the Las Vegas area.  His extensive portfolio spans various musical genres including jazz, classical, and film.  He is currently an Adjunct Professor of Jazz Composition and Arranging at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  Ricardo holds a bachelor’s degree from UNLV where he was mentored by Nathan Tanouye, Dave Loeb, Rick Keller, and Carlos Mata.  He also holds a master’s degree from the University of North Texas, where he studied under Grammy-winning and nominated composers Richard DeRosa and Bruce Broughton.

Ricardo’s work has been performed by renowned artists including Kenny Rampton, Vincent Herring, Rachel Eckroth, Lyle Lovett, and the One O’Clock Lab Band,  In addition to his academic and composing work, Ricardo is also the co-leader of his big band, the Counter Clockwise Collective.

 

 

 

HONORABLE MENTION – ANNA BIGNAMI

The 2025 Young Composers Jazz Composition Contest committee would like to recognize Anna Bignami with an Honorable Mention for her composition “Tritime Focus.”

Anna is an Italian composer, big band leader, and conductor based in Copenhagen, Denmark.  Born in the northern Italian town of Brescia, she moved to Dublin at the age of 18 to study in the BA in Jazz and Contemporary Music Performance at Dublin City University.  After the conclusion of her studies in jazz guitar, she moved to Denmark where she completed the master’s and soloist education in Rhythmic Composition at Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium.  During the past few years, Bignami has collaborated with Aarhus Jazz Orchestra on projects featuring well-known local bands such as Kalaha, Abekejser, and Athletic Progression.  In June she debuted her first work for professional big band titled “Sehnsucht: Life Longings and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Recently Bignami has also been awarded first prize in the open category of the 2022 Sophie Desmarais International Composition Competition for Large Jazz Ensemble, the prestigious Aarhus Jazz Festival talent prize in 2023, and the 2nd place award in the Big Band composition contest for young Baltic and Nordic composers in 2024.