Masterclass Series
Sponsored by the David Rubel Realtor Team​
Please note that there are no masterclasses on Friday October 6th or Friday November 10th.
Friday September 29, 2023
Presenting ensembles, projects and premiers in Jazz, Creative Music and Contemporary Classical circles, Alex Fournier is a double bassist with an interest pursuing his instrument’s idioms completely. Alex began his musical studies at the University of Toronto under such Canadian masters as Dave Young, Andrew Downing and Jim Vivian. As well, he began studying composition under Andrew Downing and Phil Nimmons, graduating with a Bachelor of Music with honors in 2011. Alex later attended both the Banff Creative Music Workshop and the SIM Workshop in 2013, leading him to a position in the Johns Hopkins University's Peabody Conservatory's Jazz Performance program. Alex has studied both performance and composition under Michael Formanek, as well as Paul Johnson for classical performance, while performing in multiple classic and contemporary jazz ensembles, various classical chamber groups, orchestras and solo performances and presenting multiple concerts and initiatives featuring a hybrid of composed and improvised music. Alex graduated with a Graduate Performance Diploma in Jazz Performance in May of 2016.
Alex has performed and worked with artists such as Tony Malaby, Sture Ericson, Michael Formanek, Tim Berne, Jacob Sacks, Colin Hinton, Mike Kuhl, Manabu Kitada, Aakash Mittal, TANDEM (Anouck Genthon, Ed Williams Afraux, Tom Malmendier), Peter Formanek, Nick Fraser, Jim Lewis, Karen Ng, Lina Allemano, Andrew Downing, Allison Au, Tara Kannangara and Courtney Orlando. He has also worked under the direction of composers and musical directors such as Dillon Baldassero in the films Black Cop (2017 - director: Cory Bowles) and The Family (2021 - director: Dan Slater), David Smooke (Now Hear This - Ensemble), Peter "Trey" Dayton (Recinto - Canadian Premiere, Lodgepole Pyre - Editor), Sean Calhoun (Suite for Solo Double Bass - Premiere, Editing) and Dominic Coles (Dr. Construction and/or Ms. Multicolored Flower - Premiere).
Friday October 13, 2023
With fairy-like sounds, funky arrangements, modern music full of harrowing and twisting harmonies and sadly comforting songs, singer/pianist Ineke Vandoorn and her partner in music composer/guitarist Marc van Vugt explore boundaries in an admirable and fascinating way: between improvisation and composition, in original songs with regular lyrics and in pure improvisations, by giving their characteristic interpretation of standards or by amalgation of different musical expressions.
Marc and Ineke released 12 CD’s. Their original approach has taken them to clubs and festivals over the world, including Canada, USA, France, Germany, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Austria, Macedonia and Hungary. They recorded a.o. with the Dutch Metropole Orchestra (conducted by Vince Mendoza), composed and performed a project with Het Nederlands Kamerkoor (the Dutch Chamber Choir), and created an improvised opera collaborating with a poet.
Marc and Ineke also worked and recorded with artists like Kenny Wheeler(UK), Robin Eubanks (USA), Sylvain Beuf (F), Andy Sheppard (UK), Don Thompson (CA), David Linx (F), Norma Winstone (UK), Mario Pavone (USA),Thomas Chapin (USA), Paul van Kemenade (NL). Invited by the Dutch government, they worked and lived for two years in The Vandoesburghouse, Paris. They are both highly experienced educators as well. Ineke’s 300 page book on singing ‘Singing from the inside out’ was released in English in 2016.
Friday, October 20 2023
Originally from Sudbury Ontario, Christian Overton is now one of the most in demand trombonists and composers in Toronto in every scene from jazz and rock to salsa, R&B, theatre work and everything in between. He has a degree from Humber College where he studied with some of the nation’s top jazz musicians including Pat LaBarbera, John MacLeod, and Alistair Kay. Christian has also completed a Masters degree at the University of Toronto studying with Kelsley Grant, Gary Kulesha and Tim Ries.
Jazz collaborations include: Hermeto Pascoal, John Clayton, The Panamanian Big Band featuring Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Brian Blade, Miguel Zenon. Also Kurt Elling, Bobby Shew, Guido Basso, Peter Appleyard, Jane Bunnett, Bill Dobbins, The Art of Jazz Orchestra, Jens Lindemann & the Order of Canada Band, Christine and Ingrid Jensen, The LaBarbera Brothers, The Don Thompson Big Band, John MacLeod's Rex Hotel Orchestra, Turboprop, The Carn Davidson 9, The Heavyweights Brass Band, NOJO and Gary Morgan’s Panamerican All Stars as well as many other acts. Christian was also featured on the Cuphead video game soundtrack which reached #1 on the billboard jazz charts in 2019.
Friday, October 27 2023
Born in 1960 in Paris, France, now also an American and Canadian citizen, pianist Jean-Michel Pilc has performed with numerous jazz giants: Roy Haynes, Michael Brecker, Dave Liebman, Jean Toussaint, Rick Margitza, Michel Portal, Daniel Humair, Marcus Miller, Kenny Garrett, Lenny White, Chris Potter, John Abercrombie, Mingus Dynasty & Big Band, Lew Soloff, Richard Bona etc. He has also worked with Harry Belafonte, as his musical director and pianist, and has performed a duet with the legendary opera singer Jessye Norman.
An active performer, Pilc has toured over 60 countries including all of Europe as well as Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Abu Dhabi, South America, Mexico, USA and Canada. In addition to his own projects, he has been in high demand as a co-leader and sideman, participating in numerous projects over the world and recording a lot of albums. Among these projects and recordings: duos with Kenny Werner, Sam Newsome, Sylvain Luc and the legendary Martial Solal, trio with Thomas Bramerie & André Ceccarelli Twenty, guitarist Teriver Cheung Hong Kong Episodes, Greek bass player Petros Klampanis Contextual, NYC drummer Tony Moreno Short Stories, Moutin Reunion Quintet Deep, Brazilian guitarist Fabio Gouvea, Dutch bassist Jasper Somsen A New Episode In Life, Danish bassist Mads Vinding Open Minds, and many others.
Friday, November 17 2023
Tom Richards is a musician with a kaleidoscopic range of work. A low-brass specialist, pianist, composer, conductor, and producer, Tom performs in dozens of active projects, including The Heavyweights Brass Band, The Human Rights, Queen Kong, Avi Granite 6, and King Cardiac. Tom is the composer and producer behind Unfolding River, an 81-piece series of avant-classical music based on the Tao te Ching.
In 2022, Tom arranged and orchestrated a key segment of the film score for The Colour of Ink, a documentary film produced by the National Film Board of Canada and directed by Brian D. Johnson. He performs on piano and trombone throughout the film. The Colour of Ink premiered at TIFF in September 2022.
In 2021, Tom was commissioned to compose a 60-minute piece for Don't Wake the Lions, a modern dance show produced by Votive Dance in Halifax. In addition to performing on trombone and piano, Tom worked closely with choreographer Catherine Hayward to incorporate movement into the musical elements and to orchestrate rhythmic elements of the dance.
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Tom recorded trombone for the award-winning Cuphead video game soundtrack, released in 2017. The soundtrack charted at #1 on Billboard's international jazz chart in September 2019, making Cuphead the first ever video game to achieve that honour.
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Friday, November 24 2023
2021 JUNO Award winner Jocelyn Gould has been called “a leader in the next generation of great mainstream jazz guitarists” by Howard Paul, CEO of Benedetto Guitars. Her joyful energy has captivated audiences around the world and her passion for music is as infectious as her unique ability to connect with audiences. Jocelyn has absorbed the influences of the jazz guitar greats and has woven them into an exciting personal sound, citing Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Joe Pass and Kenny Burrell as primary influences on the guitar.
Jocelyn has performed and recorded internationally as a leader and with GRAMMY-nominated vocalist Freddy Cole, JUNO-winning trumpeter and vocalist Bria Skonberg, DownBeat Trombonist of the Year Michael Dease, Etienne Charles, Jon Gordon, Rodney Whitaker, Randy Napoleon and Diego Rivera.
Jocelyn’s debut album, Elegant Traveler, won the 2021 JUNO Award for Jazz Album of the Year: Solo.
Golden Hour, Jocelyn’s sophomore album, showcases her virtuosic guitar playing and dynamic compositions, and introduces her voice. It has received international critical acclaim and radio play including extensive play on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Golden Hour reached #1 on Canadian and #9 on North American college radio jazz charts. Jocelyn’s Golden Hour Tour took place in June 2022 with performances at 11 Canadian Jazz Festivals.
Jocelyn toured extensively in 2022, including a 6-week American tour featuring the music of Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone. She will begin 2023 with a two-month North American tour from Florida to Alaska as one of four guitarists featured in a concert of solo guitar.
Jocelyn is a Professor and Head of Guitar Department at Humber College in Toronto. She is a Benedetto-endorsed artist.
Interested in conducting a masterclass at U of T Jazz?
Please send an email to sam.little@mail.utoronto.ca