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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Picture of WJO music stand with logo

About Us

Dr. Richard Gillis and Sasha Boychouk founded the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra (WJO) in 1997, inspired by a vision of forming a professional big band with the best emerging and veteran musicians in Winnipeg.
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Gillis and Boychouk were the right people at the right time, but the WJO also owes its roots to the collective efforts of many passionate stakeholders including the musicians, board members, volunteers and administrators who sensed a potential audience that was not being served. Their familiarity with the Winnipeg music environment (the key players, the marketplace, and the community’s appetite for jazz) gave them confidence in the capabilities of local musicians and out of that natural savvy and inherent enthusiasm, the WJO was born.
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​Commissioning new works and connecting with and inspiring students and young musicians is an integral part of the WJO vision. Today, the orchestra roster boasts 16 to 25 Winnipeg-based musicians whose combined resumes touch every corner of performance jazz locally, nationally, and around the world. WJO’s popularity has grown steadily over the course of the band’s history, from small, informal events at the West End Cultural Centre to a seven-concert season and sold-out performances at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

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