As the first classical brass soloist to ever receive the Order of Canada and the Alberta Lieutenant Governor Distinguished Artist Award, Jens Lindemann is hailed as one of the most celebrated artists in his instrument’s history and was recently named “International Brass Personality of the Year” (Brass Herald). Jens has played both jazz and classical in every major concert venue in the world: from the Philharmonics of New York, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Moscow and Tokyo to Carnegie Hall and even the Great Wall of China. His career has ranged from appearing internationally as an orchestral soloist, being featured at the 2010 Olympics for an audience of 2 billion people, national anthems at the Rose Bowl and for the San Francisco Giants on Memorial Day, performing at London’s ‘Last Night of the Proms’, recording with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to playing lead trumpet with the renowned Canadian Brass and a solo Command Performance for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Jens has also won major awards ranging from Grammy and Juno nominations to winning the prestigious Echo Klassik in Germany and British Bandsman 2011 Solo CD of the year as well as receiving several honorary doctorates.

Classically trained at the renowned Juilliard School in New York and McGill University in Montreal, Jens’ proven ability to perform as a diverse artist places him at the front of a new generation of musicians. He has performed as soloist and recording artist with classical stars such as Sir Neville Marriner, Sir Angel Romero, Pinchas Zukerman, Doc Severinsen, Charles Dutoit, Gerard Schwarz, Eiji Oue, Bramwell Tovey, Kent Nagano, Lior Shambadal, Boris Brott and Jukka Pekka Saraste. Having recorded for BMG, EMI, CBC and the BBC, Jens is helping to redefine the idea of the concert artist by transcending stylistic genres and the very stereotype of his instrument by performing with “impeccable attacks, agility and amazing smoothness” (The Clarin, Buenos Aires).

A prodigious talent, Jens Lindemann performed as a soloist with orchestras and won accolades at numerous festivals while still in his teens. A prizewinner at numerous jazz and classical competitions including the prestigious ARD in Munich, Jens also placed first, by unanimous juries, at both the Prague and Ellsworth Smith (Florida) International Trumpet Competitions in 1992. Since then, he has performed solos with orchestras including, the London Symphony, Berlin, Philadelphia, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Beijing, Bayersicher Rundfunk, Buenos Aires Chamber, Atlanta, Washington, Seattle, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Montreal, Toronto, National Arts Centre, Vancouver, Warsaw, Mexico City, Costa Rica, Bogota, Welsh Chamber, I Musici de Montreal, St. Louis, and Mostly Mozart at Lincoln Center.

Heralded internationally as an outstanding artist, critics have stated: “He played with golden timbre and virtuosic flair” (New York Times)“, “a world-class talent” (Los Angeles Times), “it was one of the most memorable recitals in International Trumpet Guild history” (ITG), “performed brilliantly in the North American premiere of Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s Concerto with the Toronto Symphony” (Toronto Star), and “he gave the virtuoso highlight of the evening with the Montreal Symphony”.

Based in Los Angeles as Professor with High Distinction at UCLA, Jens is also the Artistic  Director  of the Jeju International Wind Ensemble Festival in Korea. Jens Lindemann is an international Yamaha artist playing exclusively on 24K gold plated instruments.

Aysanabee is a multi-instrumentalist, producer and singer songwriter currently based in Toronto. He is Oji-Cree, Sucker Clan of the Sandy Lake First Nation a remote fly-in community in the far reaches of Northwestern Ontario. 

On Mar 23, 2024, Aysanabee made history as the first ever Indigenous Artist to win the JUNO Awards for Alternative Album of the Year and the coveted Songwriter of the year, for Here and Now. Aysanabee won his third and fourth JUNO Awards on Mar 28, 2026 in both of his nominated categories Alternative Artist of the Year and Contemporary Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year for Edge of The Earth. 

Aysanabee has performed over 400 shows on major stages and festivals and venues across Canada and globally including Ottawa Bluesfest, Osheaga, Montréal Jazzfest, Tönder Music Festival, AmericanaFest UK, Wake the Giant, The Great Escape, Reeperbahan and more.

Double bassist, Jeremy McCoy, is the retired Assistant Principal double bass of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, he has appeared as recitalist and chamber musician at festivals across the United States, in Canada and Japan. As one of New York City’s most active commercial session players, Mr. McCoy performed as section leader or solo bass on more than fifty major motion picture soundtracks and recorded with Grammy-winning pop artists. During his years in New York, he held faculty positions at the Manhattan School of Music, Bard College Conservatory of Music, Penn State University, Montclair State University, Columbia University, the Bowdoin International Music Festival and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. His students hold positions with orchestras throughout North America, Europe, Australia and East Asia and have made careers in both college and public school music education. Now making his home in San Antonio, Texas, Mr. McCoy teaches privately and performs both locally and away. He serves on the board of the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio and, for the 2025/26 school year, commuted weekly to Los Angeles to serve as Interim Professor at the Colburn School Conservatory.

Josh Assor is a New York City–based choreographer whose work spans Broadway, live entertainment, fashion, theme parks, cruise lines, television, and large-scale theatrical productions. Choreographic credits include the New York Knicks, Audi, Celebrity Cruise Lines, a Modos Furniture commercial, regional productions of Anastasia, Mary Poppins, Fiddler on the Roof, Cinderella, Newsies, Legally Blonde, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Carnival, Rock of Ages, The Wizard of Oz and Off-Broadway world premiere of Medicine. Josh also choreographed Cedar Point’s 150th Anniversary Spectacular and television series DJ Burnt Bannock.

Josh has been featured in Dance Spirit Magazine, Dance Canada Quarterly and Industry Dance Magazine.  He currently serves on faculty for both Heat Dance Convention and the Broadway Dance Center.

DongWon Song is an agent at Howard Morhaim Literary Agency representing commercial fiction, especially science fiction, fantasy, and horror. They were formerly an editor at Orbit, a product manager for an ebook startup, and has taught at institutions including Portland State University and New York University. They have a newsletter about the business at publishingishard.com and are a host of the podcast Writing Excuses.

Jah’kota is an Afro-Indigenous artist /entrepreneur and humanitarian who believes in serving the greater good of the community. His father is from Kingston Jamaica and his mother is Nakota Assiniboine, signatories to Treaty 4. He was born and raised in Winnipeg and now lives full time in Ocean Man First Nation in Saskatchewan.

Jah'kota has had two songs reach number one on the Indigenous music countdown and has been nominated for multiple awards including the Indigenous Music Awards 2019, the Native American Music Awards 2024,  SaskMusic Awards 2025, and the Saskatchewan Indigenous Music Awards 2025.

Justin “Jahkota” Holness uses music as a way to amplify the message of self-determination and to empower the welfare of people and the planet. 

Lori Willcox is a is a cultural management professional with over three decades of leadership experience in the areas of organizational strategy, financial planning, revenue development, brand and campaign design, change management, and leadership training and skills development. As President of 3 Guineas consulting, Lori has worked with over 40 arts and media clients on long-range planning and resource & skills development to support strategic growth. 

Prior to forming 3 Guineas, Lori was a Vice-President at the Toronto International Film Festival, leading five operational teams -- Sponsorship, Philanthropy, Marketing, Digital Communications and Customer Service. Lori's attention to revenue initiatives and strategic partnerships generated over $50 million in earned and contributed revenue over a five-year period while simultaneously raising $100 million in capital project funding. Lori also served as a member of the organization’s five-person Executive Management team, chaired TIFF’s HR Committee and was Founding Chair of a “Futures Committee” that engaged employees with inspiring opportunities with visionary thinkers from outside the sector. 

Mentorship and skills development are an essential element of Lori’s current practice with arts clients, delivering hands-on team sessions and individual training. She has also taught specialized revenue development in arts & media programs at University of Waterloo, University of Toronto and Toronto Metropolitan University as well as acting as a fundraising presenter for the TAC Leaders Lab and Rotman School of Management fundraising mentor to the MBA program at the Rotman School of Management.

Aanii Kina Waya! Jason Manitowabi ndizhnakaaz. I am an Odawa Man of the 3 Fires Confederacy and a lifelong artist.  I am a father of 3 beautiful daughters and I thank the creator everyday for these amazing gifts. 

I am currently on the  Wiikwemkoong Anishinabe Aadziwin Nakiigamig team as the Cultural  Events Coordinator. My initial tasks include coordinating our Wiikwemkoong Annual Cultural Festival as well lead the Wiikwemkoong Arts and Music Festival where I create platforms and stages for our local emerging artists to share with professional and established artists. 

I am excited for this opportunity and have spent the past 30 years working in various areas and sectors, acquiring many skills along the way. I attended Trebas Institute, Toronto Campus, in 2007 and studied Recorded Music Production, Audio engineering and DJ Arts. I then returned home to work for Debajehmujig Theatre Group where I was involved in various exciting music productions and recording projects and of course sound design for theatre. I look forward to learning and embracing the challenges that this position brings and continue to enjoy working for my community! As one only a handful of Indigenous  presenters of an Indigenous Festival, I feel privileged to work with many prominent and established producers across various fields, including many musicians including Crystal Shawanda, Logan Staats, Aysanabee, Stella Standingbear, Snotty Nose Rez Kidz,  Derek Miller, Ernest Monias, and many others! I also have had tremendous opportunities to work in creating content as a media consultant and producer in translation through digital Media arts, working with folks like Jennifer Podemski and Alanis King.  

Miigwetch! 

Camilla Holland is the Executive Director of Young People’s Theatre, Canada’s oldest and largest professional theatre for young people. 

From 2011 - 2024, Camilla was the Executive Director of the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Canada’s first regional theatre. Prior to MTC, Camilla was the General Manager of  Tarragon Theatre (2006-2011). She has worked for a wide variety of professional theatres across Toronto, including large institutions (Canadian Stage), theatre for young audiences (Young People’s Theatre), new play developers (Factory Theatre), and creation-based companies (Volcano Theatre). 

Camilla is currently on the Boards of the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts, the Musical Stage Company, and the Siminovitch Theatre Foundation. Past Board and Steering Committee roles include Manitobans for the Arts, Canada’s National Theatre School, TRG Arts, Canadian Arts Coalition, Canadian Arts Summit, Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and the National Arts Centre’s Creation Fund. She has led and facilitated courses for the NAC’s Producers Gathering, Creative Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg. 

She served on the negotiation team for recent agreements with Associated Designers of Canada, Playwrights Guild of Canada and Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. She won the John Hobday Award from Canada Council for the Arts in 2018 and the Mallory Gilbert Leadership Award in 2019.