Artist Bios
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Céline Peterson
Producer and Artist Representative, Céline Peterson, works with some of the most exciting internationally acclaimed jazz artists on the scene today, including JUNO Award winners Caity Gyorgy, Jim Doxas, and Robi Botos, acclaimed vocalist Paul Marinaro, tap dancing storyteller Travis Knights, Canada's beloved songstress Jackie Richardson, Member to the Order of Canada, Dr. Dave Young, pianist Ben Paterson, and the Doxas Brothers. Also an experienced producer, Céline’s live event credits include Jazz at Lincoln Center, Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts, Massey Hall, and nearly eight years as a producer of Toronto’s Kensington Market Jazz Festival.
Mike Downes
Multiple JUNO award winner Mike Downes has been a prominent fixture both within the Canadian music scene and abroad, praised for his limitless versatility, seemingly effortless technique and uniquely melodic approach to the bass. Mike is not only an award-winning jazz bassist, but is recognized as a complete musician, equally masterful as a composer, arranger and educator.
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Mike has performed worldwide for over 4 decades with virtually all of Canada's top jazz musicians, including Officer of the Order of Canada Molly Johnson (as musical director), PJ Perry, Lorne Lofsky, Don Thompson, Kirk MacDonald, Robi Botos and Pat LaBarbera. He has performed with international artists Pat Metheny, Chris Potter, Michael Brecker, John Abercrombie, Peter Erskine, Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, Dave Liebman and many others. Mike’s extensive and award-winning discography includes 8 albums as a leader, over 70 albums as a side musician and even more as a composer, arranger and producer.
Ulf Wakenius
For 10 years I was blessed to work with the Jazz Piano Icon Oscar Peterson. Over the last 25 years i have been fortunate to collaborate with many of the Jazz greats such as, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Mike Brecker, Jim Hall, Ray Brown, Toots Thielemans, Michel Legrand, Max Roach, Milt Jackson, Phil Woods.
Robi Botos
Robi Botos has been hailed as one of the most diverse multi-instrumentalists of this generation. From the hard-bop style of Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock, to the swing of Oscar Peterson and the heartfelt melodic expression of Mulgrew Miller and Cedar Walton, Robi has managed to master the technique of his idols, all while showcasing his musical expressions in a voice that is purely his own. While Robi is known for being a strong player in the traditional jazz and funk fields, he always incorporates an element of the music he grew up listening to into his playing.
Jim Doxas
Drummer, versatile percussionist and composer. Popular featured artist at jazz festivals worldwide.
Jamieson (accomplice)
Jamieson has been shaping dance floors as accomplice since 1997. With deep roots in electronic music and a lifelong passion for jazz, funk, soul, and beyond, accomplice is known for weaving genre-defying journeys that move both body and soul. His sets are immersive experiences—unexpected, playful, and meticulously curated. For the Orillia Jazz Festival’s first-ever DJ event, accomplice brings a bold, speakeasy-inspired vibe to the historic Opera House, blurring the lines between vintage cool and future sound.
Wide Arches
Wide Arches is the debut singer-songwriter project of Toronto musician, Jacob Gorzhaltsan. The group was formed during the pandemic lockdowns when performance opportunities ground to a sudden halt. Realizing the importance of interconnection to the reactive process, Jacob and the band began collaborating by way of online remote-recording.
In 2021, Wide Arches were fortunate to be awarded a grant from the Toronto Arts Council to record their first full-length album, “Farewell to All the Lovely Things” which was released on September 12th.
Weaving a tapestry of images and emotions, the lyrical content of the band is both playful and introspective, while the music displays a rich array of folk sounds and acoustic instrumentation. The band draws influence from singer-songwriter greats such as Nick Drake, Harry Nilsson, and Leonard Cohen, as well as more contemporary songwriters such as Andy Shauf, Daniel Rossen, and Blake Mills.