Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra
  • WJO Events 2025-26
    • Complete 2025-2026 season
    • Serie Estivale De Concerts Au CCFM
    • St. James Infirmary Blues
    • 2025-26 Ticket options
  • Education
    • WJEC Summer Jazz Camp
    • Pre-concert performances
    • Canadian Jazz Composers Workshop
    • WJO Honour Jazz
    • Big Band Workshops
    • Play-along charts
    • Jazz Skills Videos
    • Community Jazz Bands
  • Recordings
    • WJO CDS >
      • CD Details - Connections -East Meets West
      • CD Details - Tidal Currents -East Meets West
      • CD Details - Voices
      • CD Details - Twisting Ways
      • CD Details - Suite 150
      • CD Details - Suite Messiah
      • CD Details - Steppin’ Out
    • Musician CDS >
      • Bjorn Thoroddsen
      • Jeff Presslaff
      • Richard Gillis
  • Support us
    • DONATE
    • Sponsorships
    • Volunteer
    • Board member application
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  • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Who We Are
    • Board of Directors
    • News
  • WJO Events 2025-26
    • Complete 2025-2026 season
    • Serie Estivale De Concerts Au CCFM
    • St. James Infirmary Blues
    • 2025-26 Ticket options
  • Education
    • WJEC Summer Jazz Camp
    • Pre-concert performances
    • Canadian Jazz Composers Workshop
    • WJO Honour Jazz
    • Big Band Workshops
    • Play-along charts
    • Jazz Skills Videos
    • Community Jazz Bands
  • Recordings
    • WJO CDS >
      • CD Details - Connections -East Meets West
      • CD Details - Tidal Currents -East Meets West
      • CD Details - Voices
      • CD Details - Twisting Ways
      • CD Details - Suite 150
      • CD Details - Suite Messiah
      • CD Details - Steppin’ Out
    • Musician CDS >
      • Bjorn Thoroddsen
      • Jeff Presslaff
      • Richard Gillis
  • Support us
    • DONATE
    • Sponsorships
    • Volunteer
    • Board member application
    • Our advertisers
  • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Who We Are
    • Board of Directors
    • News
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​Canada’s first community-based,
​non-profit professional jazz orchestra; its equal can be found in only a handful of North American cities.


Our Vision

To foster big band music for its potential to nurture empathy, create human connection, and contribute to a more compassionate society.

Our Mission

To be at the forefront of developing big band jazz through performing, recording, composing, education and community building by means of outreach, inclusion and collaboration.

Our Values

  • Excellence
  • Integrity
  • Respect
  • Inclusion
  • Innovation

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About Us

The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra (WJO) is Canada’s first community-based, non-profit professional jazz orchestra. Founded in 1997 (registered charity in 2000), the WJO has matured to become an important part of Winnipeg’s cultural landscape, reflected in the ongoing support the organization receives from the Manitoba Arts Council, the Winnipeg Arts Council, the Winnipeg Foundation, and other sponsors. 
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The mandate of the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra is to be an instrumental force in the promotion and development of big band jazz in Manitoba and beyond, through performance, composition, recording and education.

The WJO has been fulfilling this mandate in the following ways: 1. through the presentation of a regular concert series that reflects the diversity of approaches to big band performance and repertoire; 2. in hiring Manitoba’s best professional jazz musicians to make up the ensemble, and allowing for a rotation of personnel to bring in “up and coming musicians”; 3. by the presentation of the best big band jazz compositions and arrangements available; 4. through the commission of new compositions and arrangements for big band by Canadian and Manitoban composers (over 100 have been written for the WJO to date); 5. in our collaborations with national and international guest performers and conductors that have informed and developed the ensemble, musicians and audience; 6. through our educational outreach programs and projects: school ensembles perform at each WJO concert (pre-covid), our High School Honour Jazz Band project (a collaboration with Jazz Winnipeg Festival), and our big band workshops held in several Winnipeg schools; 7. through recording the ensemble and its original music (our 5th recording was just released this spring).

Strategic Pillars

  • Financial & Organizational Capacity
    • A solid long-term revenue base
    • Knowledgeable and engaged staff
    • A Board that is engaged and has the competencies required for the organization
  • Artistic Creation & Collaboration
    • Innovative programming and projects
    • Personnel
    • Create and foster artistic connections nationally and internationally
  • Education & Outreach
    • Curating opportunities for students, musicians, and patrons to grow by leveraging the knowledge and expertise of the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra
    • Mentor, guide and share our knowledge and expertise within the community 
  • Brand Awareness
    • Increase the awareness of the WJO in international, national and local communities
    • Achieving brand recognition for the WJO
    • Retain and build the reputation of the jazz orchestra
    • Engagement and collaboration with established national and international artists
    • Building collaborative partnerships with like-minded organizations

Congratulations to front-line staff members: Margaret, Marcia, Debbie and Joan for completing the Indigenous awareness training course for the workplace from the First Nations University of Canada.
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The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra is Generously Funded by:

Funding assistance provided by the Manitoba government. Aide financière accordée par le gouvernement du Manitoba.
Logo of the Winnipeg Arts Council
Logo of the Winnipeg Foundation
Logo of the Manitoba Arts Council
Logo for FACTOR: The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings
Logo of the Canada Council for the Arts
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Logo for the SOCAN Foundation

Education Sponsors:

Logo of Long & McQuade Musical Instruments
Logo of Jazz Winnipeg
Logo of the Desautels Faculty of Music, U of M
Logo of the Manitoba Band Association
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The Play-Along App project is supported by the Government of Canada’s Healthy Communities Initiative.
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We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.
Nous reconnaissons l'appui financier du gouvernement du Canada. 

Concert Sponsors:
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Logo of the Assiniboine Credit Union

Hotel Sponsor: 

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Radio Sponsors
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logo of Nostalgia Radio, 93.7 CJNU

Special Event Supporters
Logo of Neil Bardal Funeral Centre
Logo of Frontera Wines

Supporters
Logo of Jonathan's Farm Food Share
Logo of McNally Robison Booksellers

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.
Music is an agent of hope. A dynamic and valuable device that helps us to heal and to bring us together. The First Peoples of Canada understood this and used music to reunite, resolve and reconcile.  In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that WJO activities take place on Treaty Territory – land that was maintained and earnestly cared for by Indigenous peoples before European settlement.  Manitoba is the original lands of Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and is the homeland of the Métis Nation.  We acknowledge that Winnipeg benefits daily from Treaty 3 water that comes from Shoal Lake 40.  It is with sincere sentiment that we recognize the mistakes of our recent and distant past.  In working towards a Canada that benefits us all, we commit to seeking a greater understanding of Canada’s diverse cultural relationships through continued work with Indigenous communities; we commit to live in ways that honour and respect the treaties that were made on these territories; and we commit to stewarding the land in harmony for all who will come after us.
- Please refrain from wearing any fragrances or scented products as other patrons are allergic to them.
- Your likeness may be captured at this event. Attending this event implies your permission for your image to be used in marketing or promotional purposes.
- Please do not attend if you do not feel well. Call the box office at 204-632-5299 to arrange to go to another concert.

Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra  / Box 68114, RPO Osborne Village, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3L 2V9
Main: 204-421-9398 / [email protected]     Box Office: 204-632-5299 / [email protected]