Canada’s biggest jazz festival for emerging artists, T.U. Jazz Fest is celebrating its 10th annual festival at Mel Lastman Square on Labor Day Weekend. A vital professional showcase for emerging musicians, the festival features two performance stages and a line-up that includes a feature performance by Juno-Award winner Kellylee Evans and Grammy Award nominee Karl Silveira alongside established and emerging jazz performers. Enjoy over 40 local food and market vendors at the World East Market available all weekend long. A masterclass featuring one of the most in-demand professional jazz musicians, Kellylee Evans is also available at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the North York Centre Library Auditorium. This FREE family festival runs from August 30th to September 2nd, 2024 at Mel Lastman Square, 5100 Yonge Street, North York.
“We are delighted to announce that of the 150 performers taking place at this 10th annual event, 80% are Ontario-based performers under the age of 35,” says David Lee, Artistic Director at T.U. Jazz Fest & Summer Live Music Festival and Executive Director of Emerging Artists Association. E.A.A. is an organization that develops opportunities to recognize and promote the works of young professional musicians in local and broader communities. “By creating this professional forum for this next generation of jazz musicians we are investing in the future of Canada’s jazz community. Everyone who comes out to enjoy the festival is contributing to the longevity of this culturally rich, diverse art form”.
T.U. Jazz Fest was established in 2014 to recognize and promote individual and collective works of undergraduate students in the Toronto Jazz community. The festival provides much needed support through paid performances and opportunities to play alongside some of the country’s biggest jazz legends. T.U. Jazz Fest is presented by the Emerging Artists Association, a non-profit organization specializing in innovative and educational events for emerging artists. This much anticipated annual event creates developmental opportunities for equity-deserving emerging artists 45 or under in Canada and beyond and continues to build public awareness of the cultural significance of jazz and the diversity of the genre.
