JazzYYC is Calgary’s jazz collaborative. There’s strength when we work together. JazzYYC presents, supports and promotes jazz in Calgary year around.

Vision

To serve and nourish the growing and vibrant jazz community in Calgary and beyond.

Mission

A sustainable society creating and facilitating accessible, memorable jazz experiences.

The jazz community in Calgary represents a diverse collection of audience members, musicians, venues, educators, presenters, promoters and financiers, who share a common desire for a vibrant jazz scene where they can hear, perform and study jazz year-round.  JazzYYC seeks to:

• provide year-round shows
• support jazz venues
• focus on the quality and variety of artists
• promote community awareness and facilitate involvement and attendance
• ensure that quality artists, of all styles of jazz, can play and be paid
• nurture the next generation of jazz artists.

JazzYYC supports the presentation of high quality jazz performance, the education of jazz musicians and the appreciation of the jazz genre through our core programs:

• The JazzYYC Youth Lab Band nurtures the next generation of artists with professional instruction, mentoring and performance opportunities.
• The Illumin8 concert series brings together Canadian and international touring acts as well as local and regional jazz artists. The series emphasizes special projects and collaborations from September through May.
• The JazzYYC Canadian Jazz Festival in November focuses on established and emerging Canadian artists living in Calgary, Canada and abroad.
• JazzYCC brings the global jazz party to Calgary on UN International Jazz Day and Celebration of Youth in Jazz on April 30^th each year in collaboration with the Calgary Association for the Development of Music Education (CADME). Through collaboration with roughly 30 collaborating organizations, we take jazz across Calgary in a day of free concerts on April 30.  The week-long, A Celebration of Youth in Jazz followed, which showcased Calgary’s youth jazz bands working with some of North America’s top jazz musicians.
• The JazzYYC Summer Festival in June which celebrates leading local, national and international jazz artists. The Summer Festival also offers and extensive education and outreach program.

JazzYYC promotes jazz events and facilitates the connection between musicians and audience through our jazz listings at www.jazzyyc.com and our free weekly newsletter. JazzYYC encourages community partnerships and education programs for young jazz musicians throughout the city.

Our programming mandate emphasizes improving the accessibility of the music, facilitated by: i) diversity in programming; ii) diversity in audience; iii) a broad mix of local, regional, national and international artists; and, iv) artist collaboration. The underlying core value in all programming and expansion is a measured, sustainable and transparent financial approach.

Education

Education for jazz artists is a high priority for JazzYYC as it is critical in the development of the next generation of jazz musicians. Our jazz performance education program includes training, mentoring and performance for young artists (JazzYYC Youth Lab Band), scholarships and professional development opportunities for established artists and opportunities for public performance and collaboration with touring artists (Illumin8). Together, these artist and audience programs will preserve the jazz genre by enhancing the artistic merit of jazz performance and developing a more knowledgeable and appreciative jazz audience.

The JazzYYC Youth Lab Band, created in 2013, lets outstanding secondary students advance their jazz skills by studying with professional jazz musicians and educators. Participants must be enrolled in a school band program. Weekly rehearsals are held from September to June and at least two performances are given.  Whenever possible, workshop opportunities for the Lab Band are organized with the leading jazz musicians performing in the JazzYYC Illumin8 series.

JazzYYC also works closely with other jazz presenters in Calgary to capitalize on the jazz education opportunities that come with touring artists.  Through our collaborations with CADME and MRU, JazzYYC also provides performance opportunities for other Calgary student ensembles by featuring them as opening acts at our series and festival concerts.

Professional development for established artists includes a scholarship program, performances and creative collaborations. Artistic collaboration through JazzYYC presentations have provided established musicians the opportunity to meet, play with and benefit from the ideas and expertise of the broader, global jazz community. Working with very advanced jazz performers and composers enriches the professional and artistic lives of the musicians involved, and the community as a whole.

Governance

JazzYYC was formed as the Jazz Is Society of Alberta in October 1999 and has operated under its new trade name, JazzYYC, since 2012. Our current mandate was shaped through extensive community consultations in 2011.  JazzYYC is led by a strong Board of Directors and supported by volunteers who give their time to work on various committees and support our events. All of the Board members share a vision of what jazz can contribute to the cultural fabric of Calgary. In addition to the Board, we have working committees for programming, education and outreach, marketing, membership, volunteer coordination, fundraising and HR/governance including policy for diversity and inclusion.