TWO Bendigo region guitarists in are in line for their first big break at next month’s Bendigo Blues and Roots Music Festival.
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Murray Colbert, 17, and Sean Nudl, 15, will do battle in the final of the Lazenby Young Blues Guitarist Award.
The pair, both students at Catholic College Bendigo, will be joined by Melbourne-based 16 year-old Eva Kourtes.
The competition’s finalists were announced on Sunday.
It followed three ultra-competitive heats at venues across Bendigo in recent months.
The award – to be presented for the first time this year – honours the memory of loved Bendigo musician, business leader and youth campaigner Phil Lazenby.
I was thrilled to get through to the final, there was definitely some good competition
- Murray Colbert
Festival publicity officer Elise Snashall-Woodhams said the heats could not have been more competitive.
“Some of the young musicians we have on the actual festival line-up competed and these boys beat them,” she said.
“These people are pretty much making a living in music, (but) these guys are from CCB.
“It was an open competition – we’ve had entries from Melbourne, Queenscliff, Gippsland, all over – it was skill that got these guys through to the final.”
The final - to be judged by Bendigo music identity Marc Leon and Melbourne blues musician Greg Dodd - will be held at the Civic Garden on Saturday, November 8, from 2pm.
The winner will take home Phil Lazenby’s unplayed Fender Stratocaster, valued at $2299.
Finalist Murray Colbert said he took up the guitar as part of his music studies and had never looked back.
“I was thrilled to get through to the final, there was definitely some good competition,” he said.
“It’s a one out of three chance now.”
Sean Nudl was inspired to take up the guitar four and a half years ago after seeing the enjoyment a friend of his had in playing.
He said reaching the final was awesome and thanked competition organisers for giving young guitarists an opportunity to better themselves.
“It came as a bit of a surprise, seeing the other contestants play,” he said.
“It was an awesome standard of competition.”
Close friend of Phil Lazenby, Peter Gavin said the award was a fitting tribute to celebrate his passion for music, the development youth and love for Bendigo.
He said it would be great to see the guitar used to fuel the ambitions of a young musician.
The Bendigo Blues and Roots Festival is on November 6-9.
