High School Jazz Intensive 2009 Post-Festival Re-Cap

Twenty-one students from the Lower Mainland were chosen through a competitive audition process to participate in the 2009 edition of the TD Canada Trust High School Jazz Intensive. This nine-day residency program gives students a chance to learn from some of the best musicians in the world. Jazz visionary and creative flutist, composer, bandleader, and educator Nicole Mitchell returned this year as resident artist and conductor to lead the band. “The High School Jazz Intensive program has been one of my favourite experiences of the year. Not only did the students have a wonderful attitude about learning, but also they consistently stepped up to every challenge I brought them,” says Mitchell.

Attending three-hour daily rehearsals, workshops, and nightly concerts shaped a very busy, but extremely rewarding residency for the students. On Sunday, July 5th, in the Festival Hall at the Roundhouse Community Centre, the band celebrated the entire legacy of jazz music including pieces by Charles Mingus, Maria Schneider, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton, Roscoe Mitchell, and charts by student composition contest winner Jonathan Tobin.

Congratulations to all 2009 High School Jazz Intensive participants:

Alto Sax
Brian Rapanos (Dal Richards Scholarship Winner), North Vancouver (Handsworth Secondary)
David Tan, Surrey (Semiahmoo Secondary)

Tenor Sax
Chelsea McBride (TD Canada Trust Scholarship Winner), Richmond (R.A. McMath Secondary)
Marco DiSpirito, Burnaby (Burnaby North Secondary)

Baritone Sax
Lainey Thompson, Aldergrove (Aldergrove Community Secondary)

Trumpet
Dareios Katsanikakis, Richmond (R.A. McMath Secondary School)
Sang Jun Lim, White Rock (Semiahmoo Secondary School)
Ania Zarzycki, White Rock (Semiahmoo  Secondary School)
Ira Kones, Surrey (Semiahmoo Secondary School)
Rory Hislop, Surrey (Elgin Park Secondary School)

Trombone
Jonathan Tobin (Composition Contest Winner), Abbotsford (Mennonite Educational Institute)
Ken Goh, Surrey (Semiahmoo Secondary School)
Brittany Reinsma, White Rock (Semiahmoo Secondary School)
Mark Jackson, North Vancouver (Carson Graham Secondary School)

Violin
Stefan Thordarson (TD Canada Trust Scholarship Winner), Vancouver (Britannia Secondary School)

Guitar
Stephanie Chan, Vancouver (Crofton House School)
Dave Ison, Surrey (Semiahmoo Secondary School)

Piano
Cameron Grant, Surrey (Tweedsmuir Secondary School)

Bass
Eli Reder-Davis, Vancouver (Britannia Secondary School)

Drums
Bryson Dodwell, Delta (Southpointe Academy)
Thomas Hector (TD Canada Trust Scholarship Winner), Surrey (Semiahmoo Secondary School)
 

Congratulations to all special scholarship winners: 

Brian Rapanos

$2,000 Dal Richards Scholarship awarded to a talented high school student in the High School Jazz Intensive, moving on to post-secondary music studies.

Stefan Thordarson

$1,000 TD Canada Trust scholarship awarded to a student who is completing grade 12 and moving on to post-secondary music studies.

Thomas Hector

$500 TD Canada Trust scholarship for private music lessons awarded to a grade 10- or 11-student returning to high school.

Chelsea McBride

$500 TD Canada Trust scholarship awarded to a student completing grade 12 and moving on to post-secondary music studies.

Jonathan Tobin

Winner of the TD Canada Trust High School Jazz Intensive Composition Contest. Jonathan's original piece was arranged by Nicole Mitchell and performed at the Final Performance.