About
Layers of Sound & History.
The Ottawa Jazz Festival programming has been a trailblazer in the complexities and explorations of jazz for over 40 years.
Our Purpose.
The Ottawa Jazz Festival exists to advance the appreciation and knowledge of all music, in particular jazz, by programming music that richly underscores the continuing creativity and diversity of the artists and the music itself.
Our History.
What began as a weekend of outdoor jazz in Major's Hill Park has evolved into one of the National Capital Region's most highly anticipated musical events of the summer.
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Summer of 1980
To celebrate and develop the popular jazz scene in Ottawa, local musicians Bob Misener, Tony Pope and Bill Shuttleworth founded a festival that eventually became what we know today as the Ottawa Jazz Festival.
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1981-1984
The Festival grew quickly, attracting large crowds and big names such as Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, Herb Ellis, Bob Brookmeyer, Wynton Marsalis and Milt Jackson.
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Mid-1980s
Shaped by Programming Manager Jacques Émond, the Festival booked more and more renowned musicians, including Sonny Rollins, Jack DeJohnette and Ornette Coleman.
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1989
The Festival moved to its own stage in Confederation Park.
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1990
Programming began to reflect Jacques' love of big band music and West Coast jazz. Jacques was always commended for his ability to spot up-and-comers before they were mainstream — artists such as Diana Krall, D.D. Jackson and Dave Douglas.
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1996
Catherine O’Grady took over as Executive Producer of the Festival. Thanks to great management, the board of directors and the community, the Festival has become financially solvent and has seen an audience increase of 300%.
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1999
The Festival’s big break came with the programming of Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. A record-breaking 8,000 people were in attendance, ultimately putting the Festival on the international map.
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2000
Year-long programming was introduced. The Festival sold out two major concerts at the National Arts Centre, and in October, hosted the Buena Vista Social Club (also a sold-out show).
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2001
Jazz at the Lincoln Center Orchestra returned and tickets sold out in just 72 hours with 8,000 people in attendance – a new record!
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2010
The Festival celebrated its 30th anniversary of consecutive programming, boasting the largest loyal audience of its kind in eastern Ontario. Since then, the Festival has presented some of the most dynamic jazz artists on the scene, from the traditional to the avant-garde, such as Aretha Franklin, Herbie Hancock, Salif Keita, Dave Brubeck, Mavis Staples, Roy Haynes, Toots Thielemans, Branford Marsalis, Béla Fleck, Kenny Werner, Stanley Jordan, Sonny Rollins, Terence Blanchard, Diana Krall, D.D. Jackson, Maynard Ferguson, and John Mayall.
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2011
The Festival’s total attendance hit 295,000.
Petr Cancura was appointed as the new programming manager, only the second in the Festival’s 32 years.
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2020
The 40th TD Ottawa Jazz Festival was cancelled due to COVID-19. The Festival responded with Tenacity, a live-streamed event, featuring 85 artists in 12 free shows.
In November, four shows — also live-streamed —were presented to a limited live audience with strict safety protocols in place.
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2021
Nimble and resilient, as restrictions continued, the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival presented some of the industry’s most ground-breaking artists throughout the year, whether virtually and or in person when permitted.
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2022
Live events were back and the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival made its return to Confederation Park to celebrate 40 years of programming.
The Festival’s focus on Canadian talent has never wavered, and features approximately 300 domestic artists in the lineup each year.
The Art of Programming.
Our legacy lies in our dynamic programming. The Ottawa Jazz Festival has hosted an impressive range of renowned artists and up-and-coming musicians for more than 40 years, across all genres and iterations of jazz.
Staff.
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Catherine O’Grady
Executive Producer
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Petr Cancura
Programming Manager
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Suzan Zilahi
Director of Marketing & Partnerships
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Jacqie MacKay
Artistic Manager & Programming Coordinator
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James Richardson
Sponsorship Manager
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Justin Kean
Artist Liaison
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Michael Lane
Box Office Coordinator
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Kaitlynn Steele
Digital & Social Media Specialist
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Chris Elms
The Dude aka Operations Manager
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Mike Laviolette
Graphic Designer / Video Editor
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Doug Millar
Production Manager
Board of Directors
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Adam Douglas
President
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Yves Ménard
Vice-President
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Keith Gallop
Secretary
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Tim Wong
Treasurer
Members at Large:
- Ian Burgess
- Ben Laserson
- Mark Fried
- Mark Dregas
- Jacquie Dixon
- Jaspreet Kalra
- Richard Goldstein
- John Cvetan (ex officio)
- Catherine O’Grady (ex officio)