Jahnvi Madan is an upcoming clarinetist/composer from Bellevue, recently named Earshot Jazz Festival’s Northwest Emerging Artist of the Year. A New England Conservatory graduate who grew up performing around Seattle’s Jazz scene, she has performed her music at prestigious festivals including the D.C. Women in Jazz Festival, Seattle’s Westerlies Fest, and the Earshot Jazz Festival – as the youngest composer they have commissioned. Madan is passionate about bringing more attention and love towards Seattle’s jazz scene, both in terms of uncovering its rich history as well as shining light on the current artistry around town. She is interested in using her art to navigate themes of identity through a lens of resilience, thus paving new pathways while paying homage to the spirit of Jazz.
Jahnvi says, “With the Town Hall Residency, I want to delve into Seattle’s rich Jazz history – uncovering the sounds of Jackson Street in the 1920s-70s, and activating it in a vibrant and engaging way. I think it could be powerful as a young Jazz musician who grew up here to find archived scores/recordings, and then actually arrange that music to be played in the present day, alongside original works, and by local musicians. By doing this, I would be able to bring history off the page, and onto the stage, and activate it sonically in a new context by programming it alongside the music being played on the scene here today.”
“I want to ask the following questions,” she continues. “How can the past continue to sound out to the present? What does it mean to look at this history as a young woman musician on the scene today? I want to explore how this history connects to our broader community. Town Hall is the perfect place to make this happen because of the opportunity to reach a broad and diverse community from a space so physically connected to this history.”
We’re so excited to see (and hear) what Jahnvi has in store for her Spring 2025 Residency. Welcome aboard, Jahnvi!
You can read more about Jahnvi’s musical journey in this 2023 article from the International Examiner.
Tickets to Jahnvi’s “Scratch Night” event are coming soon!
