SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival - Saskatoon

For ten days each summer, the city of Saskatoon bursts into song as the SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival plays host to hundreds of world class artists. Over 75,000 hungry music fans devour the sounds of jazz, blues, funk, pop, and world music each year, with a program that spans as many genres as it does continents.

The first festival took place in Saskatoon during the summer of 1987. Today it has become the second largest festival of its kind in Western Canada, and since 2009 has been named Best Festival in Planet S Magazine Best of Saskatoon reader’s poll.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

The Saskatchewan Jazz Festival, Inc. was incorporated in 1992 and is owned by The Saskatoon Jazz Society (SJS). The SJS is the sole member of the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival and as such oversees the Festival at arm’s length to ensure that it continues to offer jazz quality programming while maintaining a prudent and competitive business model. The mandate of the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival is to stage an artistically significant annual festival of jazz and related music. The Festival is a nonprofit organization and registered charity.

The Saskatchewan Jazz Festival is governed by a board of directors and employs a permanent staff of three. Over 450+ volunteers are recruited each year for the ten days of the festival.

MISSION

The Saskatchewan Jazz Festival Inc, is an international jazz festival that fosters, promotes and presents jazz music in its diverse forms to the people of Saskatchewan. The festival provides opportunities for the professional development of Saskatchewan musicians and a variety of educational experiences for the people of Saskatchewan.

VISION

Create enjoyable opportunities of involvement with jazz to the people of Saskatchewan with an internationally recognized festival that is revered for its high quality performances, financial self-sufficiency, sense of community ownership and deep cultural impact.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

• Tyler Wake, Chair
• Jill Johnson, Vice Chair
• Shawna Nelson, Past Chair
• Cary Bowman
• Kurt Dahl
• Greg Keller
• Shawn Moen
• Sandee Reed
• Ryan Rogal