The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra welcomes and shares its performance and creation of music - a universal language to all people irrespective of culture, race, sexuality, ability, language and gender.

- Events may be altered or cancelled at any time.
​​- Pictures and videos may be taken at any event. By attending you give permission for your image to be used in marketing or promotional materials. 
- Masks are welcomed at indoor events, but not required. We thank everyone for being considerate of their neighbour and not attending if they are not feeling well. Our primary concern is your safety and the safety of our musicians, volunteers and staff.

 for The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra has been ​nominated for Jazz Artist of the Year 
-  for a Western Canadian Music Award in 2023 for our Voices CD!

"A world-spanning treasury, superbly performed, Voices: A Musical Heritage is a "must-have" for adventurous jazz connoisseurs” The Midwest Book Review, The Library CD Shelf, MBR: Library Bookwatch, January 2023
"This is essential listening. “ The Belleville Intelligencer, Published Jan 12, 2023 
"In featuring material by First Nations, Metis, Ukrainian, Jewish, Chilean, Brazilian, Nigerian, and Icelandic composers, the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra's sixth album is both a celebration of global diversity and by implication Canadian values of openness and inclusivity…. Voices – A Musical Heritage is also, full stop, another terrific musical statement from a Manitoba-based outfit that's dazzled listeners with concerts and recordings since Richard Gillis and Sasha Boychouk co-founded it in 1997.” Ron Schepper, Textura, January 2023




Have you heard Voices yet? Find it on all streaming platforms, Bandcamp, or buy it from our website here.

The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra has been ​nominated for
a Western Canadian Music Award - Jazz Artist of the Year 
​three times: in 2019, 2022 and 2023!

Education events

Women in Jazz Symposium 2024:
Our third Women in Jazz Symposium will be held on Thursday, March 7, 2024 combined with an evening of women-led big band music. 

Resources for Students and Teachers:
School subscriptions are available for the 2023-2024 season!
​Contact manager@winnipegjazzorchestra.com for more information.

If you would like your band to beta-test our upcoming play-along app, please contact manager@winnipegjazzorchestra.com. Expected dates: fall 2023 or winter 2024.
Play-along charts for students are available HERE.
Jazz Skills videos are available HERE. - More videos coming!

Thank you to the Manitoba government for a grant to increase our inclusivity and diversity
and ​a grant to assist our move to electronic, paper-less music.

Thank you for keeping Big Band Jazz alive

We appreciate all of you who have donated toward our events and education initiatives. If you haven't yet and would like to donate, please use the button below or go to our donation page here.

We hold composers workshops, mentor emerging composers for big band (whose pieces you will hear at our concerts!), commission compositions from established Canadian composers and are working on our seventh CD.

We annually hire over 65 musicians, intentionally choosing professional musicians from varied backgrounds. Every year, we present a concert with all female performers and conductor to tie in with the International Women's Day. This season we are coordinating the timing of our Women in Jazz Symposium with this concert. School groups, students and the public are all welcome to attend!

Some of our dreams (the Canadian Jazz Composers Workshop and the Women in Jazz Symposium) are now established and building a larger audience every year.

Please donate to the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra so we can continue to provide you with the best in big band jazz. We have more ideas to explore and new experiences to bring to you!