The big news of the 2025 edition of the Conad Jazz Contest is the agreement with Universal Music Italia for the digital distribution of the EP (extended play) of the overall winner on all streaming music platforms.

We interviewed Giovanni Mazzucchelli, Head of Classics & Jazz of Universal Music Italy to find out more about this collaboration and the exceptional opportunity reserved for the winner of the Conad Jazz Costest 2025.

Who is Universal Music Italia, and what do you do in your role as Head of Classics & Jazz?

Universal Music Italia is part of Universal Music Group. This world-leading record company owns and manages numerous companies in the field of recorded music, music publishing, merchandising and audiovisual content and is present in over 60 countries.

My role consists of managing the classical and jazz area in Italy, where Universal is always the market leader, in which prestigious labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, Blue Note, Verve, Impulse and many others converge.

How important is it for your role and for Universal Music Italia to discover new talents in jazz?

The search for new talents is a fundamental point for any record company, even more so for Universal, which at an international level performs this function admirably by signing many extraordinary artists, just think of talents like Samara Joy and Jacob Collier – two of the artists we will see at Umbria Jazz in Perugia next July – who have already collected numerous Grammy Awards®.

In this panorama particularly rich in new stars, Italian productions are limited to targeted and important projects where even young people can find space.

What does the collaboration with the Conad Jazz Contest consist of?

Through the publication of the digital EP of the winner’s final performance, Universal Music Italia realizes a well-structured path by Conad in collaboration with Umbria Jazz, which includes a selection made by well-known music critics.

The best artist or group will thus have the opportunity to extend their visibility beyond the contest itself, thanks to their presence on the main digital platforms, as well as an important element for career development.