Gather, Listen, Hear: Jazz and Sonic Arts Concert

Harrison Argatoff is a Toronto-based saxophonist and composer. His music, described as “Somewhere between Bach, BL!NDMAN and Mark Turner” (Jazz Halo, 2020), strives to combine the study of free-improvised, jazz, and classical music to cultivate an enthusiastically eclectic, yet distinctly personal sound. Since graduating from the University of Toronto’s jazz program in 2018, Harrison has performed across Canada and released four innovative albums, most notably with intergenerational jazz quartet “Harrison Squared”, which features Canadian greats Mike Murley and Steve Wallace.

Harrison was raised a Doukhobour in the interior of British Columbia, surrounded by teachings of pacifism, communal music making, and a wide sweeping respect for life and nature. After years spent stubbornly resisting piano lessons to embrace long haired rock-and-roll guitar, at age ten he discovered, and was immediately captivated by, the saxophone.

At present, Harrison’s is primarily focused on musical development. He is currently a student of Wallace Halladay, studying classical saxophone; Sasha Rapoport, studying classical composition; and John Hollenbeck, studying contemporary composition. These mentorships, initiated in 2020 with support from the Canada Council for the Arts, have inspired a new sense of aliveness and curiosity in Harrison’s artistic practice, while continually challenging his patience and humility.

Harrison Argatoff was generously supported by the Lockwood Family Endowment Fund for Music.

In the words of the NEA Jazz Master Terri Lyne Carrington, paolo peruzzi (b1994 in Verona, Italy) is an artist “with the curious and inquisitive nature to push the genre forward”. Kris Davis describes paolo as “extraordinarily talented, hardworking, curious”. After graduating in 2019 at the Arrigo Pedrollo Music Conservatory (Vicenza, Italy), paolo went on to pursue a performance diploma at the Berklee College of Music (’23 graduate), studying and play alongside artists such as esperanza spalding, Kris Davis, Terri Lyne Carrington, Matt Stevens, David Friedman, Kenny Werner, Francisco Mela, Pietro Tonolo. paolo has been part of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, whose mission is to support and sustain a cultural transformation in jazz, with the commitment to recruit, teach, mentor, and advocate for musicians seeking to study or perform jazz, with gender justice and racial justice as guiding principles. Founder in 2015 of the multi-awarded chamber percussion ensemble ‘Palladrum’, paolo is the awardee at the first ‘Tomorrow’s Jazz’ competition, presented by Veneto Jazz in conjunction with the Veneto Jazz Festival.

Paolo Peruzzi was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Award.

Sam Fournier is a Métis multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, composer, performer and arranger based in Winnipeg. As a bassist, Fournier has performed throughout the province and Canada with a wide variety of groups, and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Manitoba Jazz Studies program. While he is known as a versatile sideman, Sam is also developing a personal sound as a solo artist. Through his rich exposure to varying types of music, as well as having abilities on many instruments, Sam hopes to express himself and connect with others through his music. As a composer, Fournier has a deep understanding of harmony, all while delivering melodies that are simple, yet memorable. He explores elements of grief, love, hope, and community through his work. Sam believes that music should be accessible to all, regardless of education or economic status, with the goal of decolonizing the art form while maintaining his personal artistic voice.

Sam Fournier was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards.

Born in Crete, Greece, I started playing the violin when I was six. At the age of 18, I moved to Athens, where I continued my studies of classical violin and got my bachelor's degree in Biology.  At the age of 25, my urge to discover more free and liberating ways to approach music, led me to relocate to Germany in order to study jazz violin at the HMT Leipzig. Since then, I've been trying to explore my desire to redefine the role of the violin in contemporary music, venturing beyond its traditional confines.

With my band Shejust_Left, an all-female band dedicated to musical experimentation and empowerment, we have toured through Europe, and recently released our first album. Beyond Shejust_Left, I co-founded the jazz and improvising string quartet “Aloú”, I am a member of the improvising orchestra “Ideal Orchester” and I am currently working on my solo project and my jazz quartet.

My inspiration comes from the avant-garde movements of the 20th century, as well as the aesthetics of pop and electronic music, which form a part of my musical background. At the same time, I have found, sometimes to my surprise, that traditional Greek music is often present, no matter how imperceptibly. With this eclectic mixture of sounds and cultures as part of my musical personality, I continually seek to untangle the constraints of the violin in jazz, and other forms of improvisational music.

Myrsini Bekakou was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards and the Cyril and Elizabeth Challice Fund for Musicians.

Hiromu Seifert is a Berlin-based Japanese-German jazz drummer, composer and music producer seeking the communication of “effortless, direct & healing truth” through his creation and making of music. He finds his artistic home in both classical concert halls as well as jazz clubs and often works in the intersection of groove-based music, contemporary classical and jazz & improvised contexts. 

Hiromu has performed concerts across Europe, UK and Asia at festivals like the Beethovenfest Bonn, Berliner Festspiele, Umbria Jazz, Goethe-Institut and clubs like Band On the Wall, Gretchen Club etc. and endorses CANOPUS drums. 

As part of the dynamic and innovative Berlin music scene, he had the opportunity to work with diverse artists such as: Manos Tsangaris, Robyn Schulkowsky, Noam Sivan, Vincent Ott, electronic musicians like Andi Toma (Mouse on Mars), pop star Hani Mojtahedi, jazz greats like Nils Landgren, Greg Cohen, John Hollenbeck, Wanja Slavin, Chicago House legend Robert Owens, as well as ensembles like the improvising orchestra Stegreif Orchestra or members of the Bremen Philharmonic. 

Hiromu’s compositions have been performed at venues such as Laieszhalle Hamburg, Konzerthaus Berlin, Neuköllner Oper, enjoy jazz, Berliner Festspiele, Martin-Gropius Bau as well as for the annual Christmas Party of the German president.

Hiromu Seifert was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards and the OK Gift Shop Endowment.

Alex Chang is an electric acoustic harpist. She experiments with the diversity and sweep of resonances of the electric harp — from astral tones to wailing walls of distortion. Her musical practice finds its foundations in free jazz, indie rock, Celtic and new music, and her classical training. She explores entanglements and embodied practices through the concepts of free jazz and improvisation and the ways in which music moves through us and puts us in relation and dialogue with others. Her interest in interdisciplinary collaborative practices attends to how improvisation opens up our sentience, our emotional and empathic relations around us and beyond as intertwined beings for connection and healing. Within her interdisciplinary practice, she focuses on the arts and environment and centering BIPOC communities.

She is also the co-director of Improv Spaces and runs the Improv Spaces Music Festival with creative partner percussionist Adam Forman. Improv Spaces is based in upstate New York in Saratoga County and Capital Region, developing projects that can help to serve as a hub in the region and provide resources for new music with a community of interdisciplinary collaborators locally and beyond.

Alex Chang was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards and the John W. Kieley Endowment for Emerging Musicians.

Olivia is an experimental improviser, clarinettist and composer who has performed with International Contemporary Ensemble (NYC), SoundSCAPE New Music Festival (Europe) & Ensemble Evolution (NYC), has been an Ensemble Mise-En resident composer (NYC) and has composed numerous electroacoustic works including with the Center for Computer Research in Music & Acoustics, Stanford (California).

In 2023, Olivia’s projects included their NYC-based commissioning project for underrepresented voices Shrew Brew, their duo project Eunoia with Argentinian vibraphonist Pauline Roberts, and composition commissions with both SoundSCAPE New Music Festival for pierrot + percussion and American Modern Ensemble (NYC) for wind quartet + harp. In September Olivia attended the Australian Art Orchestra’s Creative Music Intensive for experimental improvisers. In December, they curated two nights of experimental music at Arts on Site (NYC) for their project !$@%! supported by a grant from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.

In 2024, Olivia has an upcoming two-week residency with their improvised electronic music duo at Billilla Estate (Melbourne, Australia) in which the musicians will respond sonically to the environmental contexts of the historic grounds. 2024 commission premiere performances for Olivia include new compositions for Horizons Ensemble (Boston), Dior Quartet (New York), and Neave Trio (Netherlands) and Sydney Contemporary Orchestra (Sydney). Olivia’s work on themes of motherhood, mental health and identity continue in 2024 with the premiere presentation of :: Leo :: an electroacoustic piece from their 2022 album :: MXM :: in Sioux Falls.

At the Melbourne University (Australia) School of Jazz and Improvisation, Olivia holds a PhD stipend to experiment with handmade Arduino synthesizers, clarinet processing and Ableton. This is part of their doctoral research on the history and sociology of improvised computer music seen through a Queer, Feminist and Anti-racist lens. In addition to PhD candidature Olivia holds their Master of Music: Performer-Composer from The New School (NYC).

Olivia Jones was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards.

Chia-Ching Hsieh, a Taiwanese percussionist, got a master degree of National Taipei University of the Arts Institute of Orchestra and Percussion and is now studying in University of the Arts Jazz Studies M.M. Notably, she was a member of the Ju Percussion Group, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra and touring various countries. 

Key Achievements:
Participated in the Higher Education Sprout Project, collaborating on the project “Looking Sounds” with musician Jean Geoffroy.
Played the opening show for 2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival with Ju Percussion Group.
Won the 2018 TNUA Emerging Young Artists Competition and performing the Timpani Concerto “Raise the Roof” with TNUA Orchestra in TNUA Concert Hall. 
Won the 2019 Music Start in Taiwan and got the sponsor to hold the percussion recital ‘’Constant Conjunction’’ in New Taipei City Art Center. 
Played ‘’Disney in Concert: Little mermaid x NTSO’’ with National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra at National Taichung Theater in 2020. 
Participated in various performances and tours, including Guandu Art Festival, Tokyo University of Music, and concerts around China. 
Notable performances in 2023 include invitations from Key of She, Femme ensemble at Kimmel Center, and participation in the Taiwan International Percussion Convention.

Recent Highlights (2023-2024):
Invited by Key of She, playing the opening show at the Please Touch Museum. 
Being the members and performed in Tony Miceli’s jazz ensemble at Chris’ Cafe.
Featured in the 11th Taiwan International Percussion Convention at Taiwan National Concert Hall.
Accepted into the Boysie Lowery Living Jazz Residency, participating and playing in the 36th Clifford Brown Jazz Festival in Delaware. 
Collaborated with Iming Lin Quintet and played at the Second Friday Jazz Festival.
Invited by David Goldflies for the re-recording of the 1995 album “One Tan Arm.”
Played in the Funk-Fusion Band Partly Cloudy at The Roof Top Philadelphia.
Featured in Uarts Transfusion, being the special guest and participating in the Roy Ayers Tribute Night.
Featured in the Taiwan pop band ‘’Fool and Idiot’’ and Start to Touring in Shanghai at March.

Chia-Ching Hsieh was generously supported by the Denis Jackson Memorial Scholarship Endowment.

Snow is a Chinese-Canadian composer from Burnaby who is pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in composition at the University of British Columbia. As a composer, a pianist, and someone who loves visual arts, Snow has directed her focus toward the integration of visual arts and music, particularly in the creation of graphic scores and entirely art-based compositions. Beyond visual arts, she is drawn to various art forms, having created works for interactive dance with electroacoustic music, live instruments, and visual design. In terms of sonic exploration, Snow concentrates on the sound itself and the combination of sounds as a whole. She aims to find all the subtle sounds an instrument, or unconventional ones like a household item, can produce. She then creates a unique sound world that depicts her view of the surrounding world.

She is also interested in the intercultural aspects of combining Chinese traditional instruments with Western instruments, and collaborated with the Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra’s wind quintet in the summer of 2023. Recently, she has collaborated with UBC Contemporary Players Ensemble and premiered at the West Coast Composer Symposium; Currently, she’s working with Allegra Chamber Orchestra and will have her piece premiered in June 2024.

Snow Diao was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards and the Judith Anne LaRoque Scholarship Endowment.

A Dominican-American improviser, pianist and composer from Chicago, Julián´s journey started with the Caribbean rhythms of their childhood. A classically trained artist, their work found a home in jazz performance, improvisation, and collaboration. Julián is a recent Jazz Performance graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, where they studied with Warren Wolf as a recipient of the Merit School of Music's Alice S. Pfaelzer Tuition-Free Conservatory Blue Ribbon Scholarship. As a solo pianist they have studied at the Aspen Music Festival, Gijón Piano Festival, Brevard Music Festival and Colburn Piano Festival.  As a founding member of the Peabody Improvisers Collective, Julián developed experimental collaborative programs and has been creating and performing improvisational music for ballet, modern and West-African dance programs in Baltimore as an accompanist at Peabody, and in Chicago as an accompanist at Ruth Page and Visceral Dance Centers.  

Julián is the Director of the Julián and Friends Concert Series, a monthly composer platform highlighting new music stemming from the many traditions of Black American Music now in its third year at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago; and is the founder of Mamey, a musical group and project that delves into the influence that Caribbean arts have had in their musical creative journey, and honors beautiful Dominico-Haitian traditions and cultural resilience, while promoting new and vibrant art. Julián is a member of the piano faculty at The Music Offering in Evanston, Illinois, and just released the single Rothko; Tlaloc and Totec featuring Levi Lu and Lorin Benedict, on the New York artist label Carrier Records. They are one of five Chicago artists recently chosen to participate in the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Event’s Center for Creative Entrepreneurship 2024 Cohort, to cultivate and advance their professional practice, and is the recipient of a South Arts Jazz Tour Grant for their Spring Mamey tour of the East Coast. 

Julián Pujols Quall was generously supported by Banff Centre Artists' Awards and the George Brough Memorial Endowment.

Jake Baxendale is a saxophonist and composer based in Te Whanganui-A-Tara / Wellington, Aotearoa / New Zealand. He was born in the UK and grew up in Mohua / Golden Bay, developing a freedom of expression, love of nature and community-oriented mindset that he demonstrates in his life and music. He has received a number of national awards and nominations, including the Aotearoa Music Awards "Best Jazz Artist 2021" with prog-jazz band The Jac and the APRA NZ "Best Jazz Composition 2020"for his composition “Tūī”. He has toured South Korea with The Jac, tours Aotearoa and Australia regularly with both The Jac and trans-Tasman collaboration Antipodes, and has performed nationally with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, STROMA, The Troubles, Richter City Rebels, The Rodger Fox Big Band, The Wellington Mingus Ensemble, Bazurka, and his own trio JB3, among many others. In recent years, Jake released "Sanctuary", an album of large ensemble compositions in collaboration with Jasmine Lovell-Smith, completed a Masters of Music at The University of Auckland that explored new approaches for practicing and developing a musical vocabulary for improvisation, launched a new project “Gardening Music”, and became a father. Most recently, Jake was commissioned for the 2023 Wellington Jazz Festival, arranging lyrics from Ursula Le Guin’s version of the Tao Te Ching for a 7-piece band.

Jake Baxendale was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards and the Susan and Graeme McDonald Music Endowment.

Kevin LaFleur is a guitarist, pianist and composer based in Montreal. Interested in the ways that landforms and their organisms can guide music composition and improvisation, his practice depends on ways of observation and experimentation which are at home in natural spaces. After training as a composer and guitarist in the faculty of jazz and improvised music at McGill university, he has developed an expansive sound, gathered from his work in live electronics, free improvisation, contemporary dance, and Appalachian folk music.

Kevin is deeply interested in how art forms in and out of music can inform each other, and has a long standing project on connecting short fiction and composition. Equally at home in Jazz, folk, and pop contexts, he has worked extensively in the Montreal music scene, and maintains an ambitious schedule as a composer-performer. His first record of original music is in the works.

Kevin LaFleur was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards and the Liz Crockford Artists Fund.

Michael J Brady (he/him) is a Sydney-based musician who traverses jazz, folk and indie music making. Working primarily a guitarist; he draws on effects, voice, and multiple instruments as a means of exploring and sharing sound. 

Since 2016 he has led the Michael J Brady Trio, exploring shifting textures within the improvised trio format. The group have toured the Australian East Coast four times, collaborating with artists including Sandy Evans, Sasha Gavlek, and Flora Carbo. Michael released his debut album ‘Brady//Donkin//Phipps’ with the group in late 2023. He is also a founding member in indie-rock outfit Jackie Brown Jr, working as a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter. He has completed four tours with the group, releasing two Eps.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Music (honours)/Bachelor of Education having studied at the University of New South Wales (2018) and completed an exchange semester at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University (2015). Since his studies he has taken part in the Australian Art Orchestra’s 2021 Creative Music Intensive and the 2023 Siena Jazz University International Jazz Workshop. In 2023 Michael and his trio were artists in residence at the University of New South Wales Creative Practice lab.

Michael Brady was generously supported by the Repsol Emerging Artists Award.

Perhaps a product of nominative determinism, Oscar Peterson is a musician & composer redefining musical boundaries. He works as a double bassist, electric bassist, guitarist, drummer, composer, arranger & musical director in Sydney & across Australia. 

Oscar graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music jazz program in 2019. In July 2023, he attended the Siena Summer Jazz Workshop in Siena, Italy, studying with Linda Oh, Matt Penman, Reinier Baas, Gerald Clayton & Shai Maestro. In 2022, he was selected as a member of the Australian National Jazz Orchestra Youth Big Band, performing at the Sydney Conservatorium International Jazz Festival and the Perth International Jazz Festival. In 2017, Oscar attended the Australian Art Orchestra's Creative Music Intensive in Tasmania, studying traditional Korean music and Indigenous Australian music. Other career highlights include touring internationally with ARIA-nominated Zela Margossian Quintet and performing for Herbie Hancock at the Sydney Opera House for International Jazz Day in 2019. 

Recently, Oscar has been performing and touring with the Michael J Brady Trio and indie-rock band Safety First, and is currently working on a debut album project with his own quartet.

Oscar Peterson was generously supported by the Repsol Emerging Artists Award.

Jack Rosenzweig is a 23-year-old drummer, composer and bandleader residing in Sydney, Australia.

Now in his fourth year of Jazz Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Jack performs frequently in many different musical configurations across Sydney. Jack writes music with Ebony Tait and Lachlan Mills as “HEAPS GRASS”, exploring the spaces between structure and improvisation. His other original band Motion Quartet, who recently attended the 2023 Siena International Summer Workshop in Italy, are quickly establishing themselves as a fresh new voice in the Sydney jazz and improvised music scene.

Under the tutelage of jazz luminaries such as Will Vinson, Steve Barry and Simon Barker, Jack has developed a unique sound and approach to the drumset free from the boundaries of genre. Jack has received numerous awards and scholarships, including the JazzSA Mike Stewart Memorial Prize (2017), Australian Art Orchestra Mentorship (2020) and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Henderson Travellers Scholarship (2023).

Jack Rosenzweig was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards and the Sylvia Stone Scholarship.
 

Matt Smith is a trumpet player and composer hailing from Perth, Western Australia. Matt is a keen contributor to Perth’s vibrant music scene, performing regularly with Brass Party, Mace Francis Orchestra, PROOF, Odette Mercy and her Soul Atomics, Crucial Rockers, Steve Hensby Band, Perth Cabaret Collective, De Cuba Son, Pete Jeavons Nonet amongst others. In 2023 Matt released his debut album, Driftwood, a collection of eleven compositions for large and small ensembles inspired by the landscapes and memories of growing up in the South West region of Western Australia.

Matt Smith was generously supported by the John W. Kieley Endowment for Emerging Musicians.

Stella Anning (she/her) has had a versatile career performing with a variety of artists and has established herself as a guitarist, singer, composer, bandleader, improviser and performer.

In 2022 Stella released her second album, an EP of her most recent project ‘STAT’ (Stella Anning Trio), performing all Stella’s original instrumental compositions. The trio performed for Melbourne International Jazz Festival in 2023 and have performed at venues around the country including Lazybones (SYD) and the Ellington Jazz Club (PERTH). 2024 has been a pivotal year for the band, with the addition of a pianist and Stella taking on a new role as songwriter/vocalist. The group have been performing an immense catalogue of new compositions around Melbourne as they prepare to head to the studio in July.

Stella is currently the guitarist and backing vocalist for John Flanagan, Sal Kimber, ISEULA and is guitarist for the Jazzlab Orchestra and Women of Soul.

Some notable performances include: Castlemaine Jazz Festival 2024 (Stella Anning), Bluesfest 2024 (Women of Soul), the National folk festival (John Flanagan, Canberra), Dashville Skyline (John Flanagan, NSW), the Corner Hotel (WOS, Melbourne) and Echuca Winter Blues Festival (ISEULA).

Stella received mentorship from Aaron Choulai in 2023 through the Australian Art Orchestra. Stella is endorsed by Cole Clark Guitars as of 2023.

Stella Anning was generously supported by the Jenny Belzberg Endowment.

tUkU is a composer, singer, and performance artist, exploring the relationship between words and melody; voice as archive to sonically weave community. A Dora-nominated theatre composer and a poetic songwriter who excels at uniting text with complex harmonic songlines, tUkU honours the place singing takes in black woman culture. ‘I come to music through a powerful musical lineage, from the Bey family of artists, in Canada and the US, prominently rooted in jazz culture. ‘I have been singing with my mother and sister since I was a child.’ The recipient of a Chalmers Arts Fellowship, tUkU created a project titled diary of a salt. eater, to set to melody select poems from nayyirah waheed’s salt. for black woman chorus. In research into ways of being, tUkU recently participated in collective process work facilitated byphilosopher/writer/activist Bayo Akomolafe. tUkU is currently composing and recording her solo song set entitled luna’s re-. ‘More than anything, the experience of listening shapes my choices of expression as an artist and inspires my day-to-day movements as a human being.’ CATEGORY:WOMAN is tUkU’s debut as a film composer.

tUkU was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards and the Denis Jackson Memorial Scholarship Endowment.

Multi-instrumentalist Kelvin Mansaray is a unique emerging voice in contemporary music. Born and raised in Nova Scotia with roots in Transylvania and Sierra Leone, Kelvin began his musical journey in community groups like the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra and Jerry Granelli’s Creative Music Workshop. He has developed a compositional practice through self-directed study and collaboration with an intergenerational group of artists in the field of American music. Since relocating to Toronto, he has been performing and recording original music. Kelvin’s depth of practice on the violin and research into a variety of musical traditions make him a passionate and engaging performer, collaborator, and educator.

Kelvin Mansaray was generously supported by the Cyril and Elizabeth Challice Fund for Musicians.

Benjamin Shannon is carving a niche in the Australian and international music scene distinguished as a percussionist, educator, curator, and composer.

Ben's unyielding pursuit of musical growth fuels his endeavours in teaching, composition, and performance. His involvement in projects Milton Man Gogh, Shamin, Kodiak Empire, Big Dead, Brisbane Conduction Orchestra, and others, have contributed to a portfolio of over 20 releases and countless performances/tours, home and abroad.

His collaborative endeavours include performances with Scott Tinkler, Yitzhak Yedid, Katatonia, COG, The Contortionist, to name a few, also earning acclaim for his compositions at the Bell Awards, Queensland Music Awards, and Australian Art Music Awards.

Having participated in the Banff International Jazz Workshop (2017), Banff Musicians in Residence (2024) and the Australian Art Orchestra Creative Intensive Music Program (2018), Ben's commitment to cross-cultural collaboration is evident.

In 2017, he joined the iconic Art As Catharsis label, contributing to bookings and an administrative role for acclaimed acts Qais Essar, Hekka, Rafiq Bhatia, KNOWER, and more, resulting in consistent events, tours and festivals throughout Australia for local and international artists. 

In his role as conductor of The Brisbane Conduction Orchestra, Ben champions diversity, inclusion, and a secure improvisational space. His tireless advocacy in the Australian contemporary jazz scene is highlighted through constant curation in this field.

Benjamin Shannon was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards.
 

With a passion for the unorthodox and a knack for cultivating unique ensemble identities, Melbourne-based saxophonist, improviser and composer Andrew Saragossi has established himself across several and varied creative outlets as a chameleon with a wind instrument - not bound by genre or personal taste, but by a relentless search for deeper musical meaning.

Whilst firmly grounded in the jazz tradition, his curiosity, and his deeply personal approach to improvisation and extended instrumental techniques (honed during his Master of Music studies in the Netherlands/Germany (2018-20)), has evolved to broaden his sonic palette beyond the stereotypical function of the saxophone.  His creative work sits equally in the abstract as it does in the conventional, achieving an honest balance between raw spontaneous expression and refined execution – always in service of the music at hand.

Saragossi has released 12 albums with his diverse and critically recognised original projects including; MEATSHELL (2020 Maastricht Jazz Awards), Milton Man Gogh (finalists 2020 B-Jazz International Competition) and Loose Leaf.  In 2022, Saragossi was nominated for the prestigious Freedman Jazz Fellowship and is currently undertaking the Bespoke Artist professional development program with Speak Percussion. 

Andrew Saragossi was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards.
 

Zac Sakrewski is a bassist, composer and session musician from the idyllic Sunshine Coast, Australia. With a strong desire to experiment and a sympathetic ear, he has developed a playing style that transcends genre and function to cultivate collaboration and kindness. His style can be described as multi-disciplinary, spontaneous and versatile. Pulling from a kaleidoscope of influences and genres to create an evocative musical tapestry.

Zac started studying music at the age of 17 and was privileged to study with composer and conductor Robin Smith (Royal Philharmonic, Mike Oldfield, Kanye West (pre Ye)) and Guitar Legend Phil Emmanuel. To further his studies, he attended the Queensland Conservatorium of music, studying improvisation and composition with renowned Israeli composer Yitzhak Yedid and Double Bass with Peter Walters, Helen Russell and Michael Morgan (Metropolitan Opera) during his undergraduate and later, with Marian Heckenberg (QSO) during his masters studies. Zac has developed an expertise integrating technology with the acoustic and electric bass, utilising effect pedals, ableton and MAX for live to create melodies and soundscapes that simultaneously compliment and juxtapose the original form and function of the instruments.

Zac’s current projects include Milton Man Gogh, Lamborghini Eagleman, Dropbear Lodge, Faux Bandit, Jam of a Lifetime, Milk Buttons, Strangely Enough, Cowbird, Martin Kay’s Forage, June Cartel and The Polaroids and has shared the stage with International and domestic artists such as Yitzhak Yedid, Phil Emmanuel, Julian Arguelles, Kristin Berardi, Kayleigh Pincott and many more.

Zac has released two albums under his own name and his compositions have been nominated for prestigious awards such as the International Songwriting Competition, BELL awards, Queensland Music Awards and the 4ZZZ hottest 100. In 2024 as a part of Milton Man Gogh, Zac attended the Musicians in Residence course at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity under the guidance of Megumi Masaki where he, and the other members of the band connected with likeminded artists and collaborated with artists such as Jane Siberry, Michael Clarke and François Salque.

Zac Sakrewski was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards.

Jonathan Kawchuk is a Canadian composer and sound artist, notably having scored Before the Ice (2024) and episodes of David Suzuki's The Nature of Things. His work spans theatre, film, and sound installations and he has worked on albums for Nico Muhly and Ben Frost, and studied field recording under Chris Watson. An alumnus of several music residencies, he is a Grammy voting member, recording artist on Paper Bag Records, and the Canadian representative for acoustic conservation non-profit Quiet Parks International.

Kawchuk’s most recent record Everywhen was created by playing back vocal recordings deep in the Canadian Rockies, allowing them to reverberate, and then re-recording the result in multichannel surround sound after they had gathered the forest’s characteristic echo. His next album will explore the paleoecology of Alberta/BC using instruments built from living fossil wood species, extended vocal techniques, and concatenative synthesis.

Jonathan Kawchuk was generously supported by the Alice and Betty Schultz Scholarships Endowment Fund for Dance and Music.

Olivia W-B is a composer, improviser, guitarist, and vocalist based out of Boston, MA.  Their work spans from their self-taught background in experimental rock and noise scenes to more recent studies in composition, playing with the tension between the  underground versus the formal, the personal versus the political, and pleasure versus pain. Current projects include noise-punk band Rong, ensemble Premium Velvet Headache Pillow, chamber groups, solo guitar, and several yet-to-be-named new bands.

In April 2024 they were awarded a Mass Cultural Council Grant for Creative Individuals which will fund a suite of chamber compositions to be recorded this coming winter. They were recently commissioned to be the inaugural composer for Subject to Change: New Works for Violin Duo, a project of the Magari Ensemble, and their piece Ghost Weight was premiered at San Francisco Conservatory in February 2024. This summer their band Rong will be touring across the Midwest and Atlantic Coast, and this fall they plan to release several full-length albums through independent labels including people | places | records and Erased! Tapes. Since fall 2023 they have been studying audio engineering by assisting at New Alliance Audio in Somerville, MA.

Olivia Becker was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards and the Robert L. Jamison Endowment.

Ethan Cohn is a bass player, composer, improvisor, and educator born and raised in New York City. Known for his versatility across genres and his love of musical cross-pollination, his work reflects his sponge-like capacity to absorb and integrate his many interests into one unified voice. Holding collaboration as a central tenet of his practice, he frequently fuses worlds of jazz and rock, composition and improvisation, acoustic and electric, tradition and invention, and is interested in the potential of electronics as both a compositional tool and an interface for live performers and improvisors.

Ethan is an alumnus of McGill University, and spent several years immersing himself in Montreal's rich music scene before moving to Switzerland to participate in Focusyear Basel, a year-long jazz residency. He returned to his home of New York in 2021 and completed his master's studies at The New School’s Performer-Composer program. 

Ethan Cohn was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards and the John Linn Memorial Scholarship.

Originally from Saint-Maurice, QC, David Lemyre discovered his passion for music at a young age and started playing guitar at the age of 13. His musical roots in blues, country, and rock genres have shaped his guitar-oriented sound, which he integrates into jazz and pop contexts.

David pursued jazz studies at Cégep de Trois-Rivières and Université de Montréal. Now based in Montreal, David is deeply involved in multiple musical projects. He is a member of bands Pourpre, Plastic Waste Band, Will Régnier Quartet, Les Hilares and artists Amonte Noble and Segöya. In addition to his band roles, David works as a substitute guitarist and freelancer, contributing his musical expertise to various projects.

David Lemyre was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards.

Claire Devlin is a saxophonist and composer based in Montreal. She released her debut album “Anyone” in 2020 and currently co-leads two collectives based in Montreal: the Plastic Waste Band and Bellbird. Claire performs regularly with various ensembles including the Canadian National Jazz Orchestra, the Orchestre national de jazz de Montréal, Rommel Ribeiro, Thus Owls, Christine Jensen’s “Equal=Orchestra”, Warren Spicer’s “Unessential Oils”, and Tommy Crane’s “Dance Music For All Occasions”.

Claire grew up in Ottawa, Canada and started playing saxophone at the age of 12. In 2012, she was the recipient of the Rising Young Star award at the Prince Edward County Jazz Festival. Soon after, she moved to Montreal to study music at McGill University. Claire attended the Banff Jazz & Creative Music Workshop in 2017 where she met and studied with several renowned musicians including Vijay Iyer, Linda Oh, Tyshawn Sorey, Jen Shyu, and Stephan Crump. In 2020, Claire received a master’s degree in jazz performance and composition at McGill University. In recent years, Claire has performed alongside musicians such as John Hollenbeck, Christine Jensen, Linda Oh, Jean-Michel Pilc, Okkyung Lee, P.J. Perry, Anna Webber, and Matt Mitchell.

Claire Devlin was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards.
 

John Buck (he\him) is a musician and improviser in Montréal. He has been an active percussionist and improviser on the Canadian jazz scene for the past decade with the Plastic Waste Band, the Claire Devlin Quartet, and the Roman Munoz Quartet. Since 2021, John has worked extensively in the contemporary dance community as an accompanist and composer of electronic music for Concordia University, l’École de Danse Contemporaine de Montréal, Regroupement Québécois de la Danse and l’École de Danse Contemporaine de Québec. His solo project, John Lost, launched in summer 2023.

John Buck (il) est un musicien et improvisateur de Montréal (Québec). Il œuvre en qualité de percussionniste depuis une dizaine d’année dans la scène jazz canadienne avec Plastic Waste Band, Claire Devlin Quartet et Roman Munoz Quartet. Depuis 2021, John collabore avec le milieu de la danse contemporaine en tant qu’accompagnateur et compositeur de musique électronique pour l’Université Concordia, l’École de danse contemporaine de Montréal, le Regroupement Québécois de la Danse et l’École de Danse Contemporaine de Québec. Son projet solo, John Lost, sera lancé à l’été 2023.

John Buck was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards.

MAYSUN is a composer and sound artist known for his unique blend of drumming expertise and sound design, creating immersive atmospheric soundscapes. With a focus on the use of physical space to shape and manipulate sounds, he crafts compositions that serve as soundtracks to his life events.

MAYSUN's work is characterized by an innovative approach that transforms real-life sounds into musical tones, skillfully interweaving the dimensions of time and space within its compositions. His artistic journey is driven by a deep passion for exploring spatial audio and a desire to create meaningful emotional connections through his music. MAYSUN’s latest release, 'Timelines,' represents his ongoing commitment to the craft of sound artistry, inviting listeners on a deep ambient introspective journey.

In addition to his artistic pursuits, MAYSUN has been serving on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Electroacoustic Community (CEC) since 2023, he is also a proud member of the international artist collective Inland Ocean and has been selected for the prestigious 2024 ITP/IMA Fellowship at New York University.

MAYSUN [Etienne Mason] was generously supported by Banff Centre Artists' Awards.

Nicholas Dourado is all of the above and none of the latter. Adisciple of the school of creative mysteries and hard nocks and the
holder of innumerable leafs. Don't hold your expectations too tightly around this artisté.

Nicholas was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards and the Alice and Betty Shultz Scholarships Endowment Fund for Dance and Music.