The Symphonic Jazz Orchestra is pleased to announce Callum Au as the recipient of SJO’s 10th Annual George Duke Commissioning Prize. This prize was created to honor the legacy of George Duke, SJO’s Co-Music Director from 2004 until his passing in 2013.
British composer, arranger, orchestrator, and trombonist Callum Au was selected as the recipient of the $5,000 commissioning prize and will write a new work for the 68-member ensemble, to be premiered by the SJO in 2026 and entered into the SJO’s catalog of symphonic jazz commissions.
Au has worked with internationally renowned artists including Quincy Jones, Michael Bublé, Jamie Cullum, RAYE, and Dua Lipa, writing for prestigious ensembles such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Danish Radio Big Band. Recent highlights include arrangements for Bublé’s Grammy-winning album ‘Higher’, four arrangements for Dua Lipa’s ‘Live from the Royal Albert Hall’, and the critically acclaimed 2024 BBC Concert Orchestra Disco Prom. An active composer and conductor, Au has received commissions from groups including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and regularly conducts for BBC broadcasts. Since 2012, he has been jazz trombonist with the Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra, for which he frequently writes new music.
Au commented, “I’m tremendously excited to have won the opportunity to write a new piece for the epic SJO. Needless to say, it’s an orchestra with an incredible legacy and I’m thrilled to be contributing to a small part of it. It’s an honour!””
Mitch Glickman/SJO
