Amanda Tosoff Announced As Winner: 2016 Emerging Jazz Artist Award
TORONTO, June 30, 2016 – Toronto Arts Foundation announced Amanda Tosoff as the winner of the 2016 Emerging Jazz Artist Award at the TD Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival at Nathan Phillips Square. The announcement was followed by a free concert featuring last year’s recipient, Justin Gray.
Tosoff is currently on tour at the Vancouver, Edmonton and Victoria Jazz Festivals. Rich Brown accepted the award on her behalf. “I am so thankful to be part of an incredibly vibrant jazz community here in Toronto. I’d like to thank the donors and the Toronto Arts Foundation for this generous award. Without your support, and the support of other similar organizations, so much Canadian music would not be made or heard. We are very privileged to have support like this here in Canada” remarked Tosoff.
Tosoff commended finalists Dan Fortin, with whom she plays with almost every week, and Ian Wright whose “wonderful work” she’s heard so much about.
Tosoff is the third recipient of the annual award, preceded by Justin Gray (2015) and Chelsea McBride (2014).
The Emerging Jazz Artist Award is intended to further the career of an outstanding musician and support the pre-production, production and/or recording of original music composed by the recipient. The Emerging Jazz Artist Award was established in 2014, through the generous donation of Cheryl and Manuel Buchwald, and will be given out annually for at least 10 years.
"We are pleased to celebrate the achievements of Toronto's young jazz community represented by the finalists for the award" said Cheryl and Manuel Buchwald.
The award jury included celebrated jazz artists and leaders Alana Bridgewater, Rich Brown, Josh Grossman, Rebecca Hennessy.
Amanda Tosoff is a Toronto-based pianist and composer. She has performed with internationally recognized artists like Ingrid Jensen, Emilie-Claire Barlow, Phil Dwyer, Brad Turner, and Kelly Jefferson, and her groups have opened for jazz legends Bobby Hutcherson, Renee Rosnes, Oliver Jones, and Brazilian singer Luciana Souza. Amanda has been awarded such honours as General Motors Grand Prix de Jazz at the 2009 Montréal Jazz Festival, and more recently, a 2014 graduating scholarship from the University of Toronto – an award given out to graduates deemed to have potential to make a contribution to music. On her fifth release, Words (2016), Amanda has taken an adventurous leap beyond the confines of conventional jazz. She has taken poems and lyrics that possess a personal resonance for her and framed them in original new compositions that utilize vocals for the first time (sung by highly-regarded singer Felicity Williams of band like Hobson’s Choice, Broken Social Scene, and Bahamas). The result is an eclectic collection that incorporates elements of art song, classical, folk and jazz.
Toronto Arts Foundation Awards are designed to heighten public awareness of arts and artists in Toronto by shining a spotlight on artistic excellence and achievement.
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ABOUT TORONTO ARTS FOUNDATION
Toronto Arts Foundation is a charitable organization that encourages artistic excellence and increases access to the arts throughout the City of Toronto through private sector investment. Our vision Creative City: Block by Block is to connect every Toronto neighbourhood with the transformative socio-economic benefits of the arts. By supporting, celebrating, financing and advocating for Toronto’s artists, we can improve the quality of life for all Torontonians.
Contact Information:
For more information on the Toronto Arts Foundation Awards please visit www.torontoartsfoundation.org
Jennifer Green, Associate Director, Toronto Arts Foundation
e: jennifer@torontoarts.org
Tel: 416-392-6800 x207