TD Bank Group renews investment in Banff Centre’s Jazz program

BANFF, AB, August 22, 2017 –  TD Bank Group (TD) has generously renewed its support of the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity with a sponsorship of $400,000 over the next 3 years (2018, 2019, and 2020). This ongoing investment in the TD Music Fellowships in Jazz and TD Music Scholarships in Jazz builds on a 36-year legacy of support for Banff Centre.

“We are pleased to renew our support of the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music. TD has actively contributed to the growth of Canadian musicians supporting over 100 community and education music programs across the country every year,” stated Robert Ghazal, Senior Vice President, TD Canada Trust. "Music has the power to move us, teach us and connect us and TD has committed to supporting music initiatives to help communities come together to share in the power of music.”

As lead supporter of the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music, TD’s investment will enable emerging jazz musicians to develop their skills under the guidance of world renowned faculty as well as research, conceive, and produce new work.

Led by critically-acclaimed composer-pianist Vijay Iyer and a hand-picked faculty of world-renowned musicians, the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music welcomes participants from around the world to Banff Centre’s campus for three weeks of master classes, lectures, workshops, informal sessions and collaborative concerts. The program has enhanced the careers of emerging young artists including pianist-composer Gabriel Vinuela, whose Montréal-based band Park X Trio celebrated its 10 year anniversary with Dream in April 2017. Park X Trio was awarded the TD Grand Prize for Jazz at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal in 2010, and have performed across Canada, Mexico, the US, and Europe since then. 

“Over the decades, the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music has become one of the most important international training grounds for jazz musicians and composers,” said Janice Price, President and CEO, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. “With the support of TD, Banff Centre is proud to provide a truly collaborative atmosphere for the world’s best musicians to gather to learn, share, develop, and create.” 

The Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music began in 1974 when Oscar Peterson and Phil Nimmons were invited to spearhead a jazz workshop in the Canadian Rockies. This year’s program runs from August 7 - August 26, with nearly nightly shows at The Club, late-night sessions at Maclab Bistro, and Saturday Night performances. 

Visit banffcentre.ca for more information and to purchase tickets.

About Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity: Founded in 1933, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is a learning organization built upon an extraordinary legacy of excellence in artistic and creative development. What started as a single course in drama has grown to become the global organization leading in arts, culture, and creativity across dozens of disciplines. From our home in the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity aims to inspire everyone who attends our campus – artists, leaders, and thinkers – to unleash their creative potential and realize their unique contribution to society through cross-disciplinary learning opportunities, world-class performances, and public outreach. www.banffcentre.ca

About TD Bank Group: The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group ("TD" or the "Bank"). TD is the sixth largest bank in North America by branches and serves more than 25 million customers in three key businesses operating in a number of locations in financial centres around the globe: Canadian Retail, including TD Canada Trust, TD Auto Finance Canada, TD Wealth (Canada), TD Direct Investing, and TD Insurance; U.S. Retail, including TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®, TD Auto Finance U.S., TD Wealth (U.S.), and an investment in TD Ameritrade; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities. TD also ranks among the world's leading online financial services firms, with approximately 11.5 million active online and mobile customers. TD had CDN$1.3 trillion in assets on April 30, 2017. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol "TD" on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.