Jazz at the Centre

The Canadian Music Centre (CMC) is thrilled to announce Jazz at the Centre, a new performance series to formally establish a home at the CMC for contemporary jazz composers in Canada. The series will honour the heritage of jazz at the Canadian Music Centre, while also celebrating new Canadian jazz legacies. We will kick off the series on November 25th with a special performance by 2022 JUNO nominated pianist Amanda Tosoff and Jocelyn Gould, winner of the 2021 JUNO award for Best Jazz Album.

The Jazz at the Centre series is curated by Producer and Artist Representative, Céline Peterson, who says “It is a thrill and privilege for me to work with the team at the CMC in this capacity, as space is created where the work of our immensely talented jazz composers can be showcased nationally and internationally. Amanda Tosoff and Jocelyn Gould are two exceptionally talented, dedicated, and hardworking musicians and composers. The musical excellence that they embody as musicians, composers, and band leaders, is precisely what this series is about.”

CMC’s heritage is linked with contemporary jazz music, including heritage composers John Weinzweig, Phil Nimmons, Harry Freedman, Ann Southam, as well as Oscar Peterson, Hugh Fraser, Elizabeth Raum, Glenn Buhr, Elizabeth Knudson, James Harley, Jérôme Blais, Bob Erlandson and more. The works of many Canadian jazz composers can be found in CMC’s Lending Library and Shop. CMC Centrediscs has released many albums by Canadian jazz composers, including Beverly Johnston, Canadian Composer Portraits (Phil Nimmons by Dave McMurdo), Paul Hoffert and Jim Gelcer.

Jazz at the Centre will celebrate jazz composers through performances, promotion of composers and their compositions, access to works at CMC Library and shop and master workshops. It will provide mentorship, scholarship and professional development opportunities for emerging composers and the next generation of Canada’s jazz musician.

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About Céline Peterson (Jazz at the Centre, curator)

Céline Peterson is a producer, artist representative and radio/podcast host who has presented concerts and given inspiring speeches all over the globe. She manages some of the most exciting jazz artists on the jazz scene today, in Canada and internationally. She has worked on producing performances with such organizations as the Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and many respected venues around the globe. Céline is also a proud member of the BuckingJam Palace Board of Directors.

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