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Banff Musicians in Residence - Jazz & Creative Music Fall 2021
Program Information

Overview
This program provides space and focused time at Banff Centre for musicians specializing in Jazz and Creative Music to concentrate on artistic development while working on projects that can be either individually or group/ensemble based. You may be working in your established genre(s), or exploring a new one.
Along with the freedom to structure your time around the needs of your project, you will receive artistic inspiration and career advice from well-established faculty who will connect with participants during the program, both in person and online. The visiting artists come from all musical backgrounds, therefore over 3 weeks participants will have access to a range of artistic influences.
Weekly public concerts in an intimate Banff Centre venue will allow you to try out new material, perform repertoire, and share the stage with fellow artists and faculty, to a receptive and casual local audience. These concerts are also recorded for your archival use.
What does the program offer?
A different visiting artist is brought in each week to assist and mentor program participants. Visiting artists are available four to five hours per day for group and one-on-one consultations. The opportunities for interaction and collaboration have the potential to produce outstanding, creative results. Performance and recording opportunities are also available.
A personal studio space to work from is provided and available 24 hours a day. Production spaces are shared among all participants in the residency.
Those interested in additional professional development can apply for the role of Artistic Associate and act as the liaison between faculty and musicians for the program's duration. An individual of exceptional musical ability and maturity will be offered this unique opportunity to be involved in the delivery and event curation of the Banff Musicians in Residence program. The Artistic Associate will liaise between visiting artists and resident musicians as well as Music programming and production staff.
Who should apply?
The program is ideal for individual musicians, ensembles, bands, composers, and music researchers resident in Canada, to spend focused time working on a specific project; creating new works; preparing for concerts, auditions or competitions; or exploring and researching innovative ideas.
Participants should be comfortable working autonomously in an unstructured environment to benefit the most from the program. Musicians at all levels are encouraged to apply.
The Artistic Associate may come from any musical background, but will have a wide-ranging knowledge and interest in a variety of musical genres. You must apply with a specific project and will be asked to submit a letter of intent specifically for the Artistic Associate role at the end of the application process. A phone interview will be scheduled for the shortlisted candidates.
As we re-open campus and welcome artists back to programming in a safe and mindful way, we have made the difficult decision to restrict recruitment for on-campus programs to those currently residing in Canada. We continue to monitor the situation closely and look forward to the future relaxation of travel measures that will allow us to welcome international artists once again. (Please click here for up to date travel restriction measures).
Itinerary
Residency Length
All residencies must begin Monday November 15th and last for the entire duration of the 3 week program. No partial attendance will be considered.
Faculty
What's Included
The Full Flex meal plan is equivalent to breakfast, lunch and dinner in Vistas Dining Room.
Single Room with private en-suite bathroom.
Create in the privacy of one of our specialized studios.
Professionally stage managed performance opportunities will be offered during the residency program. Self-directed performance opportunities will also be available during the residency. Performance opportunities will be managed appropriately based on the Covid protocols in place at the time, for the safety of performers and audience members.
Demo recordings: you’ll have the option to record up to 30 minutes of music at a reduced rate as part of your program. These recordings are intended to be used for auditions or personal promotion, not for commercial purposes.
Studio recordings: commercial recordings can also be integrated into a music residency at normal rates.
Group seminars and workshops with faculty.
Fees & Financial Assistance
Application fee: $65 ($35 for applicants who identify as Indigenous)
Individual group members must pay an additional registration fee of $35 on acceptance.
Please note that as of September 1, our application fee reverted to the pre-pandemic level of $65. All applications received on or before August 31 will be charged at $25. Application fees are not refundable.
*Financial Aid of 100% is available to cover tuition, and 50% is available to offset food and accommodation costs
If you would like to be considered, please complete the Financial Aid section when uploading your supporting materials to SlideRoom.
**The Artistic Associate will be offered a full scholarship to attend the program (tuition, room and board) as well as a living allowance and travel assistance.
Banff Centre will issue official tax receipts for eligible tuition fees and financial assistance and awards as required by the Income Tax Act. You will receive a T2202 (Tuition and Enrolment Certificate) for eligible tuition fees paid and a T4A (Statement of Pension, Retirement, Annuity, and Other Income) for applicable financial assistance and awards.
Help fund your experience at Banff Centre. View a compiled list of national and international opportunities here.
How to Apply
Learn more about the steps to Complete Your Application.
Portfolio
- Performers: A sample of approximately 20 minutes of your work on audio or video support. You should aim to demonstrate the full scope of your capability by selecting contrasting works. Pre-formed ensembles must submit group recordings. There is a limit of three audio/video files within the tool.
- Composers: Scores of two of your compositions and, if possible, a recording of these works. Indicate performance history if applicable. Compositions submitted should have been completed no more than five years prior to the application deadline.
- Music researchers: Two to three essays/papers whose topics are closely related to your residency project at Banff Centre. If published, it is recommended to indicate the date of the essay/paper's publication as well as the periodical(s) it is published in.
Additional Information
- If you are applying as an individual, you must complete both the online application form (including $25 processing fee) and a SlideRoom application.
- If you are applying as an ensemble, the ensemble leader must complete both the online application form (including $25 processing fee) and a SlideRoom application. Please submit only one SlideRoom application per group. There will be a $25 registration fee of each member upon acceptance to the program.
Adjudication
Participants are selected by impartial adjudicators on the basis of their submitted material. In addition to artistic merit and technical feasibility, consideration will be given to the likelihood that the artist's work will benefit from the program.
Applicants will be notified of their status as soon as adjudication is complete.
All programs, faculty, dates, fees, and offers of financial assistance are subject to change. Program fee is subject to applicable taxes. Non-refundable fees and deposits will be retained upon cancellation. Any other fees are refunded at the discretion of the Banff Centre. The application deadline is 11:59 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.
Eligibility
As we re-open campus and welcome artists back to programming in a safe and mindful way, we have made the difficult decision to restrict recruitment for on-campus programs to those currently residing in Canada. We continue to monitor the situation closely and look forward to the future relaxation of travel measures that will allow us to welcome international artists once again. (Please click here for up to date travel restriction measures).
As per the Government of Alberta's Restrictions Exemption Program, all patrons born in 2009 or earlier must provide in order to attend all in-person programs:
Proof of vaccination, a negative PCR or rapid test within 72 hours of arrival (repeated every 72 hours throughout your time on campus), or an original medical exemption letter (with PCR or rapid testing protocols in place). All individuals 18 years or older must also produce valid personal identification, indicating the name of the holder and date of birth. After October 25, proof of full vaccination (two doses) is required. The Restrictions Exemption Program does not apply to masking. Masks are still required in places that implement the program.
Please visit the COVID-19 Measures page for full details on our protocols and safety measures.
Contact the Registrar
For questions on preparing your application, please contact the Office of the Registrar: