Free Workshop

(Bring a blanket or festival chair. We will have some chairs on hand.)
Winner of the 2022 JUNO award for Jazz Album of the Year (solo), and Jazz Artist of the Year at the 2022 Western Canada Music Awards, Will Bonness was called “one of finest jazz pianists of his generation” by Monk Competition winner Jon Gordon. Will has been active on the international music scene for two decades. At 17, he joined Maynard Ferguson’s Big Bop Nouveau Band for a world tour, which included performances in Europe, Thailand, and the Caribbean. He has since maintained an active international performance career, appearing at major jazz festivals in Canada and the United States, as well as at venues throughout New York and Toronto, including Smalls, Dizzy’s, and the Jazz Bistro. Locally, Will can often be seen performing with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra.

Will has four releases to his credit: Subtle Fire (2009), Halcyon (2016), Change of Plans (2020), and Is This a Dream? (2023). He has appeared as an accompanist on over 30 albums, many of which have been nominated for or won JUNO and Western Canada Music Awards.

Change of Plans has received international critical acclaim, a JUNO award, and over 2 million streams on Spotify. Will’s new album, Is This a Dream?, released in anticipation of his 2023 Canadian Jazz Festival tour, features compositions and arrangements for his new quintet.

Appearing with Will are Virginia MacDonald on clarinet, Jocelyn Gould on voice, Jonathan Chapman on bass, and Fabio Ragnelli on drums.

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