Stephen Wick is the CEO of Denis Wick (London) Products Ltd.  He earned his Bachelor of Music (Honours) at the University of Surrey (Guildford, England) in 1976.  Stephen plays tuba in the Anima Eterna Brugge orchestra, based in Bruges, Belgium.  He was a member of the Oslo Philharmonic, and has performed with leading orchestras from Berlin, Hamburg, Paris, Milan, Helsinki and Amsterdam. He teaches serpent, ophicleide and tuba at the Royal Academy of Music, and at The Purcell School in Bushey, England, the oldest specialist music school in the UK. 

In the jazz field, he has played in bands led by such greats as John Dankworth and Kenny Wheeler. He has played tuba on hundreds of film scores, from John Huston’s ‘The Man who would be King’ in 1975 to modern films such as Alien, Rambo, Batman, Gladiator and Star Wars. He has also recorded with Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney, Frank Zappa and Led Zeppelin.  

 

 

Retired, after 37 years in music education, Brenda has worked as an instrumental and vocal teacher, department head and consultant. Her career path was with the Hamilton, Waterloo and York region boards, and several years of teaching the vocal additional qualification courses at the University of Toronto/OISE. Brenda is currently artistic director of the Cambridge Male Chorus, and is founding artistic director of her chamber choir, Kokoro. Brenda enjoys freelance work as a musical director for community music theatre companies and is often invited to be a clinician, adjudicator, guest conductor and workshop presenter.

Learn more about Brenda at Brenda Uchimaru

With an established reputation as one of Canada’s leading saxophonists, Kirk MacDonald cut his first record at the age of thirteen. Throughout his career, he has received numerous awards, and has worked with many leading musicians in a variety of musical genres. Kirk also leads the Kirk MacDonald Jazz Orchestra (KMJO), a 19-piece all-star ensemble dedicated to performing his original compositions and featuring arrangements by leading Canadian and U.S. Writers. The KMJO released its debut recording Deep Shadows in March 2011, and in May of 2012. His latest recording Vista Obscura was released in 2014 and features jazz legend Harold Mabern and special guest saxophonist Pat LaBarbera. Kirk has been active as an educator for 27 years at leading jazz studies programs such as at the University of Toronto and McGill University. Kirk is presently a full time professor at Humber College in Toronto, where he holds a cross appointment in the Music Degree Program and the Community Music School. Kirk also acts as the Artistic Director for the “Youth Jazz Canada” project and directs the “National Youth Jazz Combo”. This project also hosts a 2 week workshop in the summer for high school and post-secondary students.

Sponsored by: Humber College

• Location: Toronto On.

A world-renowned composer, arranger, vocalist and pianist, Greg Jasperse is the Director of Vocal Jazz at Western Michigan University.  He is also the director of the award-winning Gold Company vocal jazz ensemble.  His credits include numerous movie soundtracks including “Jurassic World”, “Epic”, “Oz, The Great and Powerful”, “The Campaign”, “Star Trek” and “Star Trek 2” as well as the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s “Monarchy of Roses” and “The 2nd Law”, the recent release from Muse.  His conducting credits include all-state jazz choirs in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, North Dakota, New York, California, Oklahoma, Indiana, Missouri, Colorado, New Hampshire, Illinois, Iowa as well as the British Columbia Honors Jazz Choir and Musicfest Canada’s Ellison Honour Choir,

Learn more about Greg at Greg Jasperse

 

 

 

Mike Downes is the Bass Department Head at prestigious Humber College in Toronto. Bassist, composer, author and educator Mike Downes has earned a reputation as one of Canada’s finest jazz artists. His bass playing has delighted audiences worldwide, including tours through western and eastern Europe, Iceland, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, the United States and throughout Canada.
Mike’s extensive discography highlights his work as a bassist, composer and arranger. He has released five recordings as a leader to critical praise. His most recent recording Ripple Effect features his trio with masterful musicians Robi Botos and Ethan Ardelli. Mike has been a (guest-concert) artist, adjudicator, clinician, and educator many times at Musicfest Canada.

Sponsored by Yamaha Canada Music Ltd.

Toronto, ON

Now head of the keyboard department at Toronto’s Humber College, Dickinson is a graduate of the Humber Music Program and holds a Masters in Music (with distinction) degree from the New England Conservatory in Boston. He is the author of a respected book on ear training, entitled The Ears Have Walls (published by Advance Music of Germany). Brian Dickinson has been a fixture on the Canadian Jazz scene since the early 1980’s.he has performed and recorded with many jazz greats including Pat Labarbera, Lee Konitz, Kirk MacDonald, Kenny Wheeeler, John Abercrombie and Tom Harrell. He won a Juno Award for best jazz recording in 1991, and was also a member of the University of Toronto Faculty for twelve years.

Sponsored by: Yamaha Canada Music Ltd.

Prior to his 2001 appointment as Humber’s Director of Music, Christianson taught at McGill University, Concordia University, the University de Montreal, John Abbott College, and Centennial Academy. His jazz portfolio is no less impressive. His credits include performance and recording sessions with jazz greats J.J. Johnson, Kai Winding, Carmen McRae, Sarah Vaughn, Tony Bennett, Michel Legrand, and many others.

Sponsored by: Humber College

Etobicoke, On

Bob holds a Bachelor of Music, Teaching certificate for the University of B.C., and a Master of Music at Western Washington University. While an undergraduate, Bob was involved in performances as a clarinettist, pianist, and percussionist. His main post-graduate activity was the writing of and extensive manual for the development of the young jazz rhythm section. He has continued to write curriculum in the areas of jazz rhythm section, jazz rehearsal techniques, jazz improvisation and concert band percussion. For 33 years, in the North Vancouver School District, Mr. Rebagliati directed many award winning junior and senior high school ensembles in both concert band and jazz. Since 2012, Bob has conducted the Metro Vancouver Firefighters Band.

Alex Dean, one of Canada’s foremost jazz saxophonists, has been a mainstay of the Canadian music scene for many years. He has played and recorded with Gil Evans, Kenny Wheeler, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Harry Connick Jr., Phil Nimmons, the Dave McMurdo Jazz Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. Alex held the tenor saxophone chair with Rob McConnell’s Grammy award winning Boss Brass and, the Juno award winning Rob McConnell Tentet.  The Alex Dean Quartet/Quintet recordings include At this Point (November 2010), Dreamsville, Both Feet, and Kaitlyn’s Waltz. Kaitlyn’s Waltz was voted Best Jazz CD of 1994 by The Jazz Report and one of the Top Ten Jazz CD releases by New York’s Village Voice. He was also voted Jazz Musician of the Year by the Toronto Star.

Lean more about Alex at Alex Dean.