Brandon University’s School of Music will take the reins of the annual Brandon Jazz Festival in 2023. The corporation that previously ran the popular annual event voted to dissolve itself after being forced to cancel for the third year in a row due to the pandemic.
“The Jazz Festival is a beloved institution with a long history here at the BU School of Music. It is a cherished tradition that connects a community of musicians and that welcomes many future BU students here to campus for the first time,” said BU Dean of Music Greg Gatien. “Given the renewal in our Jazz and Contemporary Popular Music program, it’s exciting to imagine how our faculty may lend their teaching and performing expertise to continue this great legacy.”
Launched in 1983, the Brandon Jazz Festival was an annual non-competitive event held every March at the BU School of Music, though previously it was not formally operated by BU. The Festival brought about 3,000 musicians together for three days of education, performance, and adjudication. Many of the attendees were junior-high and high-school aged; they came from across Manitoba as well as other provinces and the United States.
“While our immediate focus is on safely managing music education and supporting our incredible students and faculty through the pandemic, we look forward to coming up with a plan that will once again welcome these young musicians to campus for the wonderful educational and musical experiences that the Festival is known for,” Gatien said. “This experience will be invaluable when we begin mapping out plans for a rekindled Festival in 2023.”
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