ST. CATHARINES – Love live jazz?
Then don’t miss this unique event featuring one of Canada’s top jazz pianists and the Niagara Youth Orchestra (NYO) as they celebrate Black History Month on March 2 at St Thomas Church in St Catharines.
Renown jazz pianist John Sherwood will be joining some of the area’s best young musicians in the premier performance of “Concert for Jazz Trio and Orchestra,” composed by NYO conductor and musical director Laura Thomas. Drummer Dakota Maruzin and bassist Ian Slade, both NYO members, will round out the trio.
Sherwood, born in Oakville and raised in St Catharines, trained as a classical pianist until he discovered the challenge of playing jazz. Over the years he has performed, toured and recorded with some of jazz’s greatest artists and entertained music lovers at festivals throughout Canada.
The concert will also include works by Duke Ellington, Scott Joplin, African-Canadian composer Nathaniel Dett, as well as Dvo?ák’s popular “New World” Symphony, inspired by African-American spirituals.
“The fusion of jazz and orchestral music results in exciting, swinging rhythms with an amazing depth and variety of instrumental timbre,” said Thomas. “It’s wonderful to hear this concert coming together and I’m thrilled to have my new concerto performed by one of Canada’s pre-eminent jazz pianists and two of our talented NYO members. In the past four seasons we have had a number of accomplished professional soloists perform with the NSO. John will be our first jazz soloist and we’re really looking forward to working with him. It’s also a great experience for our members to learn and premiere a new Canadian composition.”
The event will be held at St Thomas Church at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 2. Tickets are $16 for adults, $12 for seniors and $5 for children and students and can be purchased at the door.
For more information about the Niagara Youth Orchestra, visit their website at www.niagarayouthorchestra.ca or check them out on Facebook.
(Submitted by event organizers)
