| Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

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IRENE SANKOFF & DAVID HEIN are the Olivier-award winning, Tony nominated, married, Canadian writing team behind the hit Broadway Musical Come From Away,
currently the most produced play across North America, and not only playing around the world but to over 100 countries on Apple TV+.

Come From Away won three 2017 Dora Mavor Moore Awards, four Helen Hayes Awards, five Outer Critics Circle Awards and three Drama Desk Awards, including Best Musical. David and Irene were nominated for Tony Awards for Best Book and Score and Grammy Awards for Best Musical Theater Album. They won the 2017 Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk awards for Best Book, and won the Olivier award for Best Musical and Best Score in 2018. Come From Away broke box office records across North America as well as in Newfoundland, when it played two benefit concerts at the Gander Community Centre Hockey Rink, followed by return concerts in Gander and St. John’s.

Irene and David’s first show, My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding, was recently updated and is being licensed across North America. Based on David’s mother’s true story, it was the hit of the 2009 Toronto Fringe Festival and then was picked up for a commercial run by Mirvish Productions. It has now played and won Best Musical awards in the New York Musical Festival (NYMF) and across North America, with Sankoff and Hein performing in most productions. Together, they have written for Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros., HBO and the CW as well as Marvel Comics and the Canadian government. They currently have several musicals, television shows and films in development.

Irene holds an honourary Doctor of Humane Letters from Pace University in New York. And for their work on Come From Away, Irene and David are the recipients of the Meritorious Service Cross of Canada, the Good Neighbor Award from the Four Freedoms Park Conservancy, andhonourary doctorates from Memorial University.

Inspired by the story of their musical, David and Irene and the cast and crews of Come From Away, have raised money for the SPCA, Daffodil Place, Food Banks, The 9/11 Museum, Pay-It-Forward 9/11, and many more charities.

Dolson Rhona

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Ben Mizrach is a saxophonist, composer, band leader and educator based in Brooklyn. Ben began playing piano at age 5 and saxophone at
age 9. In high school he attended the Jazz House Kids summer workshop, where the inspiration of mentors Bruce Williams and Christian McBride would encourage him to study jazz saxophone at New England Conservatory, and physics at Tufts University. Ben draws from a sprawling palette of influences, from Stephen Sondheim to Anthony Braxton. Alongside creative partner Harrison Clark, Ben wrote the book, music, and lyrics for Almanac – a stage musical exploring the artistic struggles of three black musicians studying at a predominantly white college. The musical, inspired by the work of composer T.J Anderson and American minstrel shows, premiered in Somerville, MA to a sold-out crowd in November of 2021.
In December 2023, Harrison and Ben reunited to develop and produce Orbiting Lovers & Contraband as part of the Office Hours Residency Program at the Kennedy Center. The project explores connections and disconnections - with each other, our environments, our ancestors, and ourselves. Ben regularly performs in New York with his quartet, Zohar & Adam, and other projects. He works as an educator at Jazz House Kids NYC, Brooklyn Friends School , and as a private lesson instructor.

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Banff Centre, 2024. Arthur Hitchcock for IN A LANDSCAPE.

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The weekend of June 27 and 28 begins with Pink Martini’s high-energy international jazz and funk style concert and ends with IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the Wild™’s return to the Shaw Amphitheatre and its signature concert-hall piano experience in the grand outdoors.

BANFF, AB, MAY 28, 2026 – This summer, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity welcomes two of the summer’s most anticipated performances: Pink Martini All-Stars and IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the Wild™. This not-to-be-missed weekend—a highlight of the 2026 Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival—offers audiences two distinctly different ways to engage with music and the mountains.

For those who don’t want to miss these back-to-back performances, spend the night in Banff. Banff Centre offers newly renovated, comfortable hotel rooms and suites, only a few steps away from the performances and on-campus restaurants. Come for the performance and stay for the view. Use the promo code STAY for up to 30% off your hotel stay. Book now!

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We’re excited to welcome these exceptional artists to Banff Centre not only because of their unique talents, but also because in very different ways they invite audiences to step into their world of live music. With their infectious energy, Pink Martini throws us an exuberant party on stage. While with IN A LANDSCAPE, Hunter Noack draws you into a deeply intimate experience, enveloping you in the sounds of his piano as you immerse yourself in the power and beauty of the landscape.

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Josephine Ridge, Executive Director, Arts

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Pink Martini All-Stars

Pink Martini All-Stars is a touring spin-off of Thomas Lauderdale’s globe-trotting “little orchestra.” But this offshoot of Pink Martini's signature sprawling ensemble brings all the grandeur and glamour of a full-sized orchestra. This reimagined, high-energy show features three powerhouse vocalists who are long-time collaborators with the band, including NPR legend Ari Shapiro, the soulful Edna Vazquez, and the sensational America’s Got Talent finalist Jimmie Herrod.

Pink Martini has sold over 3 million albums worldwide, performed sold-out shows from Carnegie Hall to Paris’s L'Olympia theatre, and was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame. The band’s 10 studio albums feature dozens of talented musicians from around the world and songs in over 25 languages. Celebrating their 31st year of performing, Pink Martini also plans to have a new album out in 2026. Remaining tickets are extremely limited—learn more here.

Pink Martini All-Stars
Saturday, June 27 | 8 p.m.
Jenny Belzberg Theatre
Tier A $110.00 | Tier B $95.00 | Tier C $65.00

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IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the Wild™

IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the Wild™ brings the immersive experience of a traditional concert hall to the mountains. Touring this concept since 2016, classical pianist Hunter Noack replaces domed ceilings and stage lights with sky, sun, and fresh air, bringing his 9-foot Steinway grand piano to stunning geographic locations around North America. At Banff Centre, he returns after a celebrated debut in 2024, performing in the Shaw Amphitheatre, surrounded by the unmatched views of Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain.

With 355 concerts presented across Canada and the United States to over 95,000 people, Noack's mission is to connect people to nature and classical music through accessible concerts.

To meet the acoustical challenges of performing in the open air, guests listen through wireless headphones. The music acts as a soundtrack to the outdoor experience as guests wander through the amphitheatre or simply lie down on the lawn, engaging with the old-growth trees, wildflowers, and mountains. Tickets are available here.

IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the Wild™
Sunday, June 28 | 4 p.m.
Shaw Amphitheatre
$64

This is only the start of a season of great outdoor music at Banff Centre! Catch the recently announced AMP Sessions over two weekends this summer, July 17-19 and July 23-26. Featuring beloved names from the Bow Valley and beyond—like the Ramblin’ Hey Ho Ha’s, Lost Decade, Joshua Burnside, and a partnership with Canmore Folk Festival—AMP Sessions is the perfect free summer arts activity in Banff for the whole family.

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See Banff Centre’s Media Room here.

For photos, information, or interview requests, please contact:

Carly Maga
Director, Communications
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
tel: +1.403.763.6210
cell: +1.403.431.3423
carly_maga@banffcentre.ca

About Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Founded in 1933, Banff Centre is a post-secondary institution built upon an extraordinary legacy of excellence in artistic and leadership development. What started as a single course in drama has grown to become a global organization leading in arts, culture, and creative decision-making across dozens of disciplines, from the fine arts to Indigenous Wise Practices. From our home in the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity aims to move everyone who attends our campus—artists, leaders, thinkers, and audiences—to unleash their creative potential and realize their unique contribution to build an innovative, inspiring future through education, performances, convenings, and public outreach. banffcentre.ca

Banff Centre
107 Tunnel Mountain Drive
Banff, Alberta
Canada
T1L 1H5
403.762.6100
www.banffcentre.ca

We recognize, with deep respect and gratitude, our home on the side of Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain. In the spirit of respect and truth, we honour and acknowledge the Banff area, known as “Minihrpa” (translated in Stoney Nakoda as “the waterfalls”) and the Treaty 7 territory and oral practices of the Îyârhe Nakoda (Stoney Nakoda) – comprised of the Bearspaw, Chiniki, and Goodstoney Nations – as well as the Tsuut’ina First Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy comprised of the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai. We acknowledge that this territory is home to the Shuswap Nations, Ktunaxa Nations, and Métis Nation of Alberta, Rockyview District 4. We acknowledge all Nations who live, work, and play here, help us steward this land, and honour and celebrate this place.

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Sarah is an executive and creative producer with a career built at the intersection of impact and storytelling. She has spent years pioneering creator programs that bring overlooked voices to new platforms and audiences – work that sits at the heart of Well Travelled Collective, a female driven production company she cofounded in 2019. Sarah has produced multiple award-winning short films and documentaries.

French-American and raised in Switzerland, she is an avid climber with a passion for adventures off the beaten path.

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Dina Mufti is an international film judge, curator, and consultant whose work moves between storytelling and critical insight.

As a documentary filmmaker, she has developed a distinctive voice and precise editorial eye informed by both making films and assessing them at the highest level.

She has served as a juror for the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, Grierson Documentary Awards, Royal Television Society, Kendal Mountain Festival, and the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival.

As a director and producer, her films—created for BBC, National Geographic / Disney, Netflix, Red Bull, and Sky—explore the meeting point of science, culture, art, adventure and the natural world. Her practice is rooted in character-led narratives and a sensitivity to place, often drawing out the quiet, human stories within global landscapes.

Alongside her creative practice, Dina runs a consultancy supporting filmmakers to refine story, strengthen narrative and character, and position their work for the international festival circuit. She is also a respected on-stage moderator at outdoor festivals, and a TEDx rehearsal coach. Her current film project is an independent impact documentary based in the Himalaya.

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An elusive sonic creature, Salomé Perli stands out through her remarkable versatility as a violinist, pianist, vocalist, author, arranger, producer, composer, and improviser. Her singular artistic universe moves fluidly between songwritting, contemporary jazz, electronic and experimental music, driven by bold writing and boundless expressiveness. Fueled by an insatiable artistic curiosity, she continuously expands her practice through interdisciplinary collaborations with choreographers, visual artists, filmmakers, circus performers, and dancers, while engaging with musicians from a wide range of backgrounds. Rejecting labels and conventions, she has developed a deeply personal and immersive artistic approach that has led her to perform internationally across Europe, Japan, Canada, and the United States, as well as to take part in numerous creative residencies (CEM, Codes d’Accès, Le Vivier) and festivals, including MUTEK and OFF JAZZ. Alongside her performance and creative work, she is also active as an educator through free improvisation workshops. With two experimental songwritting albums to her name, Salomé Perli follows in the footsteps of artists such as Björk, Thom Yorke, and Esperanza Spalding, asserting a musical identity that is powerful, sensitive, and resolutely unclassifiable.

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Alfred Yun is a Korean-American jazz pianist and composer. His music is influenced by his upbringing in both Korea and the United States. You can hear influences ranging from jazz, hip hop, and K-Pop to traditional Korean music in Alfred Yun’s compositions.

Alfred was honored to be chosen by the Music Center At Strathmore as an Artist-in-Residence for the 2023-2024 season. This includes featured concerts at Strathmore’s prestigious AMP club in January and participating in programs throughout the season.

In 2025, Alfred Yun released his album, Voice and Phenomenon, which investigates the different ways we use the voice — gibberish, games, poems, singing, spoken word, laughter, and more. The album invites the listener into an intimate account of these disparate voices and sounds. It is the most personal and revealing work of his career. Voice and Phenomenon was listed on Capital Bop's Top DC Jazz Albums of 2025.

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Mason Jeffery-Off is a Canadian bassist, composer and bandleader based in Montréal. Originally from Ottawa, Ontario, Jeffery-Off is a graduate of McGill's Jazz Performance program. There, he studied with Ira Coleman and Rémi-Jean LeBlanc. An on-call Montréal bassist, he performs frequently with the likes of Jean-Michel Pilc, Darrell Green, and Kevin Dean. At age 18, Jeffery-Off was one of 16 international jazz musicians under the age of 25 to be selected for Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead, a performer-composer residency located at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. In 2024, he received the Hnatyshyn Developing Artist Grant (Oscar Peterson Grant for Jazz Performance). Jeffery-Off leads a seven-piece ensemble called Marvelous Creatures, which features compositions of his that are derived from written and spoken language, such as poetry, speeches and interviews. A full-length album is currently in the works with this ensemble. To Jeffery-Off, “Musicians share a special bond and to nurture it we must be open to each other's ideas, making them work in tandem. My goal is to abandon my preconceptions and serve the spirit of the moment. It is this humanity and spontaneity that bridge the gap between music and listener and, in turn, connects us all.”

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The Ramblin' Hey Ho Ha's, photo by Abigaile Edwards

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Bring the whole family to AMP Sessions, returning for two weekends, July 17-19 and 23-26. Featuring free live outdoor music at the Shaw Amphitheatre, food, drinks, and a 360° view of Banff's gorgeous surroundings, catch local favourites like The Ramblin’ Hey Ho Ha’s and Lost Decade from Calgary and Joshua Burnside from Northern Ireland, as well as a partnership with Canmore Folk Festival.

BANFF, AB, MAY 21, 2026 – Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity’s AMP Sessions returns this summer with an unforgettable lineup of local artists and Alberta favourites as well as from as far away as Northern Ireland. Hosted at the stunning Shaw Amphitheatre over two weekends in July, this concert series brings audiences together for live music, food, and drinks with the Canadian Rockies as a backdrop.

AMP Sessions brings the Bow Valley together for two weekends of free live music from talented local and Alberta-born artists, with performances beginning at 6 p.m. each evening. Gather friends and family of all ages, pack a picnic or grab something to eat and drink from our BBQ, and settle into a lawn chair to soak up the summer sun and mountain air.

Quotation

AMP Sessions is about bringing people together to discover great music, spend time in the mountains, and enjoy the memorable nights that only happen at Banff Centre. There’s something incredibly special about gathering at the Shaw Amphitheatre, and we’re excited to bring audiences together for two unforgettable weekends of fantastic music.

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Josephine Ridge, Executive Director, Arts

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Each performer takes the stage at 6 p.m., but audiences are encouraged to arrive early with picnic blankets and foldable chairs in hand. Banff Centre’s food and beverage team will be on site, preparing backyard-barbecue-inspired meals, and the bar will serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Audience members may also bring food or soft drinks, but outside alcohol is strictly prohibited.

AMP Sessions is only the beginning. As the Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival enters full swing, Banff Centre will feature a series of concerts, dance performances, readings, and more events. Make AMP Sessions part of your Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival experience—visit our website to see the full lineup of events.

AMP Sessions

July 17-19, 23-26
6 p.m. daily
Shaw Amphitheatre, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
FREE

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The lineup of performers at AMP Sessions is:

July 17-19

Kayla Williams – July 17
Kayla Williams is making waves in the world of yacht-pop. Based in Calgary, Alberta, she brings her own modern twist of glitter and femininity to the sounds of the ’70s and ’80s, fusing soulful vocals with feel-good grooves. Her sound is described as Hall & Oates meets Olivia Dean, with a little Huey Lewis levity and a splash of Lake Street Dive.
The Motown 6 – July 18
The Motown 6 is an Alberta-based soul and funk collective that delivers super-charged rhythms with vibrant vocal harmonies. Made up of members Jo Marillier, Arif Boga, Daniella Rubeling, Matt Mueller, Tony Berthelet, Michael Maher, and Darren Reeder, their passions intersect at a love for all things rhythm and blues. Together, they present a musical homage to Motown, Stax, and Chess straight through to the swampy sounds of New Orleans.
Side Hustle and Cave Arcade – July 19
In collaboration with Canmore Folk Festival’s Artist Development Program, July 19 features two local bands from Canmore, Alberta.
Side Hustle is a local, family experiment that started during the pandemic years. This opportunity allowed them to combine musical interests into a grassroots band. Influences and formal training are rooted in fiddle and guitar alongside traditional folk, Celtic, country and western, and popular music. The group has performed original music and cover songs at open mics, busking, and at private and public events such as the Banff Centre Mountain Book and Film Festival and Hockey Day in Canada.
Cave Arcade is an indie rock band, crafting shimmering, guitar-driven songs that balance sharp wit with a hazy sense of nostalgia. Fronted by Louis Trautman, alongside Andre Laver, Eli Panning-Osendarp, and Austin Novakowski, the band brings a tight, dynamic chemistry to a sound that feels both expansive and immediate.

July 23-26

Joshua Burnside – July 23
Banff Centre alumnus Joshua Burnside is an experimental folk songwriter, singer, and producer. Keeping his Belfast roots central to his music, he draws influence from alternative electronica and Irish folk, chopping and blending them with found sounds, world music, and unorthodox production methods.
John Wort Hannam – July 24
John Wort Hannam has been on a roots-fueled troubadour journey for over two decades, spinning songwriting gold from the lives he encounters and those within his imagination. After twenty-plus years, he shows no sign of slowing down, winning the 2023 Canadian Folk Music Award for both Solo Artist and Contemporary Album of the Year. Audiences and critics alike hear something special in his narrative, lyrically driven songs.
Lost Decade – July 25
Lost Decade is a Calgary-based synthwave band with a love for timeless music. Members Derek Leugner and Brandon Smith’s earliest ideas came to life after hours at the Cantos Music Centre, where the glow of vintage keyboards and synths set the stage for their sound. Joined by vocalist Chenelle Roberts with classical, blues, and Caribbean roots, they craft soulful synth-driven music inspired by the energy of 80s and 90s music.
The Ramblin’ Hey Ho Ha’s – July 26
Banff’s own The Ramblin’ Hey Ho Ha’s bring a foot-stompin’ good time to the Rocky Mountains. Known for their boot-kickin’ blend of bluegrass, roots, and rock with a twangy twist, this hometown group brings big energy and bigger heart to the stage.
Featuring a mix of acoustic guitar, mandolin, harmonica, and tambourine, their sound is steeped in mountain air and prairie soul. With crowd sing-alongs, high-spirited originals, and a few reimagined classics, The Ramblin’ Hey Ho Ha’s turn every performance into a celebration of community, rhythm, and storytelling.

AMP Sessions appears as part of the 2026 Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival, Canada’s celebration of art in the mountains since 1950. This year’s festival features over 100 events from May to September at Banff Centre and in the local community. Find the full lineup of events at banffcentre.ca/summer-arts-fest.

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See Banff Centre’s Media Room here.
For photos, information, or interview requests, please contact:

Carly Maga
Director, Communications
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
tel: +1.403.763.6210
cell: +1.403.431.3423
carly_maga@banffcentre.ca

About Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity: Founded in 1933, Banff Centre is a post-secondary institution built upon an extraordinary legacy of excellence in artistic and leadership development. What started as a single course in drama has grown to become a global organization leading in arts, culture, and creative decision-making across dozens of disciplines, from the fine arts to Indigenous Wise Practices. From our home in the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity aims to move everyone who attends our campus - artists, leaders, thinkers, and audiences - to unleash their creative potential and realize their unique contribution to build an innovative, inspiring future through education, performances, convenings, and public outreach. banffcentre.ca

Banff Centre
107 Tunnel Mountain Drive
Banff, Alberta
Canada
T1L 1H5
403.762.6100
www.banffcentre.ca

Media Release

Language English

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RISA STEINBERG (Artistic Advisor) is active in many facets of the dance community as a performer, teacher, re-constructor of the works of José Limón, rehearsal coach, and choreographer mentor. A native New Yorker, Ms. Steinberg attended the High School of Performing Arts. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Juilliard School, where she has served as full-time faculty since 2004 and held the position of Associate Director of Juilliard Dance from 2008-2016. Ms. Steinberg has been a guest teacher worldwide and in many summer intensives.

In 2022, she received the DanceTeacher Magazine Award of Distinction. As a performer, Ms. Steinberg was a principal dancer with the José Limón Dance Company and guested with companies worldwide.

She was a cast member of Punchdrunk’s, Sleep No More from 2015-2020.

As a choreographic advisor, she has mentored many emerging and established choreographers. Ms. Steinberg is the co-director of the Ann and Weston Hicks Choreography Project at Jacob’s Pillow.

Artistic Advisor

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