Matteo Prefumo wins the 2025 ISJAC Rule Beasley Prize in Jazz Leadsheet Composition

Jazz guitarist and composer Matteo Prefumo, a native of Genoa, Italy, has achieved significant recognition in the United States by winning the prestigious 2025 ISJAC Rule Beasley Prize in Jazz Leadsheet Composition with his piece “The Way It Is!“. This award, presented by the International Society of Jazz Arrangers & Composers (ISJAC), honors works that demonstrate exceptional creativity and musicality, selected by a panel of some of the most esteemed jazz composers worldwide.

“The Way It Is reflects my love for the vibraphone-guitar sound and the influence of the legendary Antonio Sanchez, who is not only a great inspiration but also a close friend“, Matteo explains. “The combination of guitar, vibraphone, and piano, with its richness of colors and depth, has always been an endless source of inspiration for me. During the composition process, which I carry out exclusively at the piano, I always use the combined sound of the piano and vibraphone. This choice, which I find incredibly stimulating, echoes my love for the duo Gary Burton and Chick Corea, from whom I have drawn inspiration since my early steps in music writing“.

The piece was performed live during the Italian tour of renowned American vibraphonist Joe Locke, in which Matteo Prefumo was invited as a special guest.

“A fundamental part of composing this piece was reflecting on how Antonio Sanchez enhances melodies through his accompaniment and, most importantly, what happens ‘between the notes,’ as they say in English“ Matteo adds. “Some sections were specifically designed to create spaces that I imagined he would fill with his melodic sensitivity. The idea for this piece came to me when Antonio shared some of his drum loops, and in a conversation about them, he said: <<I’m curious to see what you’ll do with these loops.>> This encouragement sparked my creativity, pushing me to explore new compositional solutions“.

Founded in 2016, ISJAC is a world-leading non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to jazz composers and arrangers. The Rule Beasley Prize is awarded through a rigorous selection process by a jury of authoritative industry professionals, who evaluate submissions to identify works that best represent creative and musical excellence.

Check an excerpt from the live in Piacenza with Joe Locke’s Group performing “The Way It Is”. This is a section of the last melody.