About Us

Our Jazz Festival History

Since 2004

The South Delta Jazz Festival is comprised of both a Festival Performance Program and a Student Workshop.  Since 2004,  this week-long program provides musicians and audiences with the opportunity to appreciate, explore and deepen their knowledge of jazz.  In the Workshop, students study and rehearse jazz ensemble performance, under the guidance of professional musicians/teachers.  Concurrently, the Festival Performance Program presents concerts, both free and ticketed, in numerous venues in Ladner and Tsawwassen.  The various concerts, both daytime and evening, feature ensembles inclusive of instructors, guest artists, and students. The South Delta Jazz Festival and Workshop is a program of the Delta Community Music School. The school offers year-round private music instruction and also a jazz ensemble program which is held each Tuesday evening at the music school

History: The South Delta Jazz Festival held its first season in July 2004. The program was initiated by the Delta Community Music School Society and founded by Delta Music School instructors Jared Burrows and Stephen Robb. The festival was created to give music students of a wide variety of ages and abilities an opportunity to learn about jazz improvisation during an intensive one-week program. Other professional musicians from around the Vancouver area were invited to come and join us. The result was a unique opportunity for students to play and learn side by side with instructors and professional musicians in small ensemble settings.

Today: Our festival is growing into a major community event for Delta. With the success of the Jazz Workshop over the past few years, it has now progressed to a full one-week Festival. The generosity of corporate sponsors and the support from the community has allowed the Jazz Workshop to expand and has enabled us to welcome more guest artists to instruct and perform during the festival.  Sponsorship also means tuition levels for our workshop will remain affordable, and scholarships will be available to students.