More than a Jazz Festival… encouraging the future of jazz

Ottawa (Wednesday, June 3, 2015) — Besides curating the very best music has to offer, for more than 10 years the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival (June 18 – July 1, 2015) has been providing training, workshops, and performance opportunities to budding young Canadian jazz musicians from across the nation as part of the TD Jazz Youth Summit. Taking place during the Festival, the Summit provides these young musicians a rare platform to develop their big band experience by working with internationally acclaimed musicians and clinicians, culminating in two performances on the Main Stage on Tuesday, June 30 at 6:30pm in the TD Jazz Youth Summit concert and on Canada Day, July 1, in the TD Jazz Youth Summit and Stingray Rising Stars concert at 2pm. Stingray Music bestows cash prizes to the top three outstanding participants to encourage their future studies in the field. Besides encouraging them to grow both as individual artists and ensemble players, this experience stays with the participants well after the Festival is over by building close friendships with peers, often resulting in lifelong professional partnerships. Renowned Canadian jazz trumpet player and University of Toronto professor, Jim Lewis is the Summit’s Music Director. Besides recruiting the participants from across the nation and conducting rehearsals, he invites visiting musicians to the Festival to conduct workshops for Summit participants during their residence. Traveling from across Canada (often making their first trip to their nation’s capital) these future jazz artists with their all access pass end most days with spontaneous performances at Late Night Jamming (this year taking place at the Spin Kitchen & Bar at the Ottawa Marriott Hotel) alongside professional jazz musicians and legends. 2015 TD Jazz Youth Summit Participants include: Andrew Miller from Toronto, ON on drums Chris Pond from Antigonish, NS on acoustic bass Emily Steinwall from Toronto, ON on tenor saxophone Harrison Argatoff from Kelowna, BC on tenor saxophone Jonathan Tobin from Abbotsford, BC on trombone Teegan Walker from Brandon, MB on alto saxophone Trevor Peverley from White Rock, BC on guitar Michael Marcotte from Montreal, QC on trombone Ben Frost from Vancouver, BC on trumpet Without such valued supporters as TD and Stingray Music, this significant program would not be possible. Celebrating 35 years of creation and innovation!