This year Coastal Jazz and Western Front presented the second annual New Improvisers Studio, a free week-long educational initiative for up to ten young musicians aged 17 to 24. The New Improvisers Studio supports collective explorations in musical improvisation through the mentorship of a world leading improviser from the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. This year the Studio was led by the acclaimed composer, percussionist, and Pulitzer-Prize-winning sound artist Susie Ibarra, exploring listening, field recording, spatial mapping, playing, practicing, and notations of rhythm in the natural world. Selected musicians participated in five daily workshops scheduled from June 24th – 27th (11 am – 2 pm) and a public performance at the Western Front on June 28.
Check back for information on the 2026 New Improvisers Studio or follow us on social media @coastaljazz.
Susia Ibarra
Susie Ibarra is a Filipinx-American composer, percussionist, and sound artist. Her work encompasses performance, mobile sound-mapping applications, multichannel audio installations, recording, and production. Across her interdisciplinary practice, many of Ibarra’s projects are based in cultural and environmental preservation. Her sound research focuses on the stewardship of glaciers and freshwaters, and she has published writing on the ecology of rhythm in the environment.
Presented in partnership by Coastal Jazz and Western Front, with the support of the Government of Canada, Creative BC, Deux Mille Foundation, and the SOCAN Foundation.
