Jazz is a form defined by experimentation, chance, and playfulness. It has influenced so many other genres of music and we can see its impact on our very own critically acclaimed musicians from Orillia! This year’s festival celebrates an intergenerational collaboration – an inaugural Artist-In-Residency program in partnership with the Canadian Music Centre – and the return of Canadian celebrities to our historic Orillia Opera House stage. The team at Arts Orillia would like to thank the dedicated artists and partners who have made this weekend possible with a special nod to the youth performers and mentors opening and closing the 2026 Arts Orillia Jazz Festival. You are the beating heart of all that we do!
Kate Hilliard ~ Artistic Director
Friday Oct 16th, 2026 - 7PM
ACT 1
Possibility …………….………….……….…..... Nico Christie, Alida Tomasini, Cassia Stoodley, Alondra Vega
Thirteen ……………………………………......… Cassia Stoodley and Alondra Vega
Pancake Blues …………….…....……...... Nico Christie
Hope Has Dirt on Her Face ….… Alida Tomasini
Two Hearts ……………………………........… Cassia Stoodley and Alondra Vega
Fiddle Blues ……………………………........ Nico Christie, Alida Tomasini (Featuring Jacob Thompson, Cole Mendez, Alondra Vega)
ACT 2
Performers
Art of Anthem Ensemble featuring:
James Brown, Clark Joneston, Hannah Barstow
Here’s The Thing
The Walrus
When The Shanty Boy Comes Down…………....traditional arranged by James Brown
Pale Blue Dot
Dog Bone
El Tres De Mayo
If You Could Read My Mind /Sundown…....…..Gordon Lightfoot, arranged by James Brown
Neo-Noir
****Neo Noir After Party in the Green Room following the performance featuring
Sounds vs Silence by Nate Robertson with projection design by Noah Simons
Open Mic @ 10PM
Program Note
Tonight is all about “Possibility.” This is the theme I gave the students during our “Experimental Workshop” in the summer, and it became the inspiration behind each composition. These composers brought a unique style, vision, and creativity to the process, culminating in a kaleidoscope of sound! We are thrilled to share our journey.
Our evening continues with Arts of Anthem Ensemble – an evening of music created in our very first Jazz + Jazz- Adjacent Artist-In-Residency Residency.
And to bring this amazing night to a close, the Neo Noir after-party welcomes Nate Robertson for a very special electroacoustic set, accompanied by video projections created by Arts Orillia’s co-op student, Noah Simons.
As you take in tonight’s performances, open your hearts and minds to the unexpected – celebrate the nuance – and let the music carry you! The possibilities are endless…
Alondra Vega ~ Artistic Producer
Alida Tomasini
Alida Tomasini is a jack of all trades, but her musical focus is on the Violin and Bass Guitar. She started learning piano with Music for Young Children at age seven. Since then, she has taken lessons for Electric Bass with Olivia Duck, Violin with Katrina Gilbert and Alex Andrews, and Double Bass with Alex Andrews. In elementary school she participated in band on the Electric Bass. Once she joined High School she played Double Bass in both the Junior and Jazz bands. Alida’s music has been especially influenced by Mariposa Folk Festival, which she has attended every year since birth. Alida would like to thank her parents and teachers for fostering her musical career, and is excited to see you at Arts Orillia’s 2026 Jazz festival!
Cassia Stoodley
Cassia Stoodley is a student of piano. She was enrolled at 88Keys Music and Discovery Centre at a young age and has since continued her musical journey with the school. She is currently taught by Dmitriy Varelas, which has allowed her to grow both technically and creatively. Cassia is now shifting towards playing jazz and the blues but stands by the philosophy that good music is good music, regardless of genre. Beyond that, she enjoys playing volleyball and taking trips to Stratford to watch performances each summer. Cassia would like to thank her parents for their continued support of her musical education. She is excited for the opportunity to take part in Arts Orillia’s 2026 Jazz Festival!
Nico Christie
Nico Christie is an aspiring musician, playing piano, trombone and guitar. Nico received piano lessons from Katerina Gilbert, starting at a young age, which has given him technical ability and theory but encouragement and inspiration as well. Other notable teachers are Ms. Bosco and Ms. Yeats, the music teachers at Twin Lakes, where Nico will graduate in the spring with ambitions of continuing his post secondary education in Jazz piano and Science. While Nico enjoys listening and playing all genres on piano he is particularly fond of Jazz and Blues, taking inspiration from Oscar Peterson, Bill Evens, and Ray Charles. Nico would like to thank his teacher Katerina, and his family for supporting his piano as well as putting up with his practicing. Nico is excited to play original songs for you tonight, particularly his very own Pancakes Blues.
Alondra Vega
Cuban-born Alondra Vega-Zaldivar is a passionate artist that has learned many skills by wearing many hats. Composer, opera-singer, producer, and teacher, she joined the Arts Orillia team thanks to the Metcalf Internship and is now Artistic Producer.
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Alondra is an associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre, as well as member of the Ontario Region Board, and part of the ACC committee. Her pieces have been performed across Canada, the United States and reaching as far as Croatia. She is currently working on a new family opera based on the legend of lake Simcoe’s ‘Kempenfelt Kelly.’
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Alondra teaches piano and vocals at Modern Music, and in her free time, she Music Directs for South Simcoe Theatre.
Cole Mendez
Cole Mendez is a Muskoka-based keyboardist with more than 15 years of professional performance experience. As a founding member of The Free Label, he has performed original music on major festival and concert stages worldwide. His playing draws on jazz, soul, and contemporary music, with a strong improvisational voice and compelling live presence.
Jacob Thompson
Jacob Thompson is a jazz pianist, keyboardist and keytarist based in Toronto.
He plays with The Free Label, and leads his own trio and quartet.
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He’s opened for T-Pain, Mono Neon, and Seamus Blake, and performed with Jerry Bergonzi, Mike Murley, Diego Figuredo, Norma Winstone, Ralph Alessi and Dave Liebman.
Art of Anthem Ensemble (trio format) - Chamber Jazz Reimagined
The Art of Anthem Ensemble grew out of the recording of James Brown’s album Anthem for Everyone. Featuring an eclectic lineup of Toronto musicians—including bassist Clark Johnston, and vocalist/pianist Hannah Barstow—the group blends vocalese, violin, piano, acoustic bass, and guitar into a distinctive chamber jazz sound. Their repertoire includes Brown’s bilingual arrangement of “O Canada,” alongside original works and imaginative interpretations of music by Joni Mitchell.
James Brown
Born in 1967 in Oakville, Ontario, and raised in Burlington, James Brown began guitar lessons at age 13. He later pursued classical guitar at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto while also immersing himself in jazz through informal jam sessions.
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His debut jazz album, First Dance (1998), featured top-tier Toronto players Ernie Tollar (saxophones), Andrew Downing (bass), and John Obercian (drums). Brown went on to release The Home Fields (2002), Sevendaze (2009), and Song Within the Story (2022). Collaborators across his discography include Don Thompson, Mike Murley, Jim Vivian, Anthony Michelli, Mike Milligan, and Quinsin Nachoff.
Hannah Barstow
Hannah is a pianist, vocalist and composer in the Toronto jazz scene. As a performer, she is firmly rooted in the tradition of jazz, and is strongly influenced by the music of Shirley Horn, Ahmad Jamal and Blossom Dearie. Originally from Napanee, Ontario, Hannah studied classical piano and theory from the age of four. She began performing professionally at the age of twelve as a solo jazz pianist and vocalist, and subsequently in jazz and rock groups. Hannah has performed with a number of renowned jazz artists, including Emilie Claire Barlow, Mike Murley, Kris Davis, Steve Wallace, Pat Collins, the Brian Barlow Big Band, and the Greg Runions Big Band with the Kingston Symphony. In 2016, she was featured as the Rising Young Star at the Prince Edward County Jazz Festival, and in 2018, she toured Chile with saxophonist Mike Murley. Hannah is an instructor at the University of Toronto Jazz Studies Program and Humber Community Music School.
Clark Johnston
Clark Johnston started his professional career as a bassist in 1995 and has since performed with the Shuffle Demons, Diana Panton, Mike Murley, Reg Schwager, Don Thompson, the Mike Malone Jazz Orchestra, Peter Appleyard, Queen Pepper, Attila Fias, and works regularly with Alison Young and Neil Brathwaite.
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Clark has released three CDs with Shields Johnston Fielding featuring his original compositions and can be heard on many other people's recordings. He holds a master's degree in Music Composition as well as a Bachelor of Education from York University. Clark is currently on faculty at McMaster University and Hillfield Strathallan College.
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Clark appears on James Brown's last two recordings; Song Within The Story (2022) and Anthem For Everyone (2025).
Nate Robertson
Performing, writing and improvisation have been passions of mine for many years. The presentation of Sound vs Silence combines live loops, modulated percussion (a mixture of chimes and rattles), with modulated guitar sounds in an experimentation format with compositional elements. Focusing on space between sounds and noise as inspiration. Formulating an understanding of composition and performance, this opportunity would allow an exciting new creative outlet.
My journey in jazz starting as a percussionist for the band Bushchord, lead by Pat Harber. An Orillia based jazz band with a residency at a restaurant in Craighurst. After going to study music at Mohawk College, my independent studies pursued. Including lessons at The Havana Music school and private studies. Performing in many different contexts and groups gave way for ideas around writing and performing.
Saturday Oct 17th, 2026 - 7PM
Jane Bunnett & Maqueque, with special guest Cuban Dancer Melissa Noventa.
Jane Bunnett
Five-time Juno Award winner, Jane Bunnett has turned her bands and recordings into showcases for the finest musical talent from Canada, the US, and Cuba. She has been nominated for three Grammy Awards, received The Order of Canada, The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, and, most recently, The Premier’s Award for Excellence.
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An internationally acclaimed musician, Bunnett is known for her creative integrity, improvisational daring, and courageous artistry. Her exploration of Afro-Cuban melodies expresses the universality of music, and her ability to embrace and showcase the rhythms and culture of Cuba has been ground-breaking. She has toured the world bringing her own special sound to numerous jazz festivals, displaying her versatility as a flutist, saxophone player, and pianist.
Maqueque
Founded in 2014, Maqueue has since been recognized for two Grammy nominations, been featured on NPR’s Jazz Night in America, and voted a top-ten jazz group by the critics’ poll of DownBeat magazine. Most recently, the group held a residency at Birdland Jazz Club in New York.
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The forming of Maqueque was in response to a longstanding disparity experienced by Bunnett wherein she’d mostly collaborated with men, especially instrumentalists. And in Cuba, opportunities for female talent were even more sparse (though about 70 percent of the students at Cuba’s musical conservatories are women). Bunnett paired up with world-renowned Cuban singer and founding Maqueque member, Daymé Arocena, to scout the country for other outstanding young female musicians. The result became an evolving group of early-career to more established players, who took the stage together under a name provided by Arocena’s grandmother, Maqueque, which translates in the Afro-Cuban language Lucumí to the “fiery energy spirit of a little girl.”
Melissa Noventa
Melissa Noventa (she/her) is a dance artist, educator, and cultural researcher (PhD Candidate, Cultural Studies, Queen’s University) based in Kingston and Toronto.
Dancing since the age of 4, her dance practice moves across a wide range of forms, with a deep focus on Cuban folkloric and popular traditions. This foundation places her art at the intersection of movement, research, and community, shaping a practice that connects embodied learning with lived cultural exchange. Her work is guided by how movement carries memory, builds cross-cultural connection, and circulates through communities across place and time.
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Her work travels between studios and stages across North America, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean. She has performed with Cuba’s Raíces Profundas, stepped into shared stages with Los Van Van and Alexander Abreu, worked with NYU Tisch, appeared at Scotiabank Arena for a Toronto Raptors halftime show, travelled to Nigeria to dance Afro-Soca with Team Canada, performed alongside Grammy award winning band Arcade Fire. Most recently, she toured internationally with Obeah Opera in South Africa and Barbados.
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Offstage, Melissa actively brings dance to community spaces, including guest teaching in local highschools, and through her classes of AfroSalsa, Femme Flow, and Rooted—grounded in rhythm, shared practice, and embodied learning.​
Sunday Oct 18th, 2026
10am at St Paul's Centre
~ by donation
Performers
Jacob Thomson and Cole Mendez, with special guests Nico Christie, Cassia Stoodley, Alida Tomasini, Alondra Vega
Cole Mendez
Cole Mendez is a Muskoka-based keyboardist with more than 15 years of professional performance experience. As a founding member of The Free Label, he has performed original music on major festival and concert stages worldwide. His playing draws on jazz, soul, and contemporary music, with a strong improvisational voice and compelling live presence.
Jacob Thompson
Jacob Thompson is a jazz pianist, keyboardist and keytarist based in Toronto.
He plays with The Free Label, and leads his own trio and quartet.
​
He’s opened for T-Pain, Mono Neon, and Seamus Blake, and performed with Jerry Bergonzi, Mike Murley, Diego Figuredo, Norma Winstone, Ralph Alessi and Dave Liebman.
Alida Tomasini
Alida Tomasini is a jack of all trades, but her musical focus is on the Violin and Bass Guitar. She started learning piano with Music for Young Children at age seven. Since then, she has taken lessons for Electric Bass with Olivia Duck, Violin with Katrina Gilbert and Alex Andrews, and Double Bass with Alex Andrews. In elementary school she participated in band on the Electric Bass. Once she joined High School she played Double Bass in both the Junior and Jazz bands. Alida’s music has been especially influenced by Mariposa Folk Festival, which she has attended every year since birth. Alida would like to thank her parents and teachers for fostering her musical career, and is excited to see you at Arts Orillia’s 2026 Jazz festival!
Cassia Stoodley
Cassia Stoodley is a student of piano. She was enrolled at 88Keys Music and Discovery Centre at a young age and has since continued her musical journey with the school. She is currently taught by Dmitriy Varelas, which has allowed her to grow both technically and creatively. Cassia is now shifting towards playing jazz and the blues but stands by the philosophy that good music is good music, regardless of genre. Beyond that, she enjoys playing volleyball and taking trips to Stratford to watch performances each summer. Cassia would like to thank her parents for their continued support of her musical education. She is excited for the opportunity to take part in Arts Orillia’s 2026 Jazz Festival!
Nico Christie
Nico Christie is an aspiring musician, playing piano, trombone and guitar. Nico received piano lessons from Katerina Gilbert, starting at a young age, which has given him technical ability and theory but encouragement and inspiration as well. Other notable teachers are Ms. Bosco and Ms. Yeats, the music teachers at Twin Lakes, where Nico will graduate in the spring with ambitions of continuing his post secondary education in Jazz piano and Science. While Nico enjoys listening and playing all genres on piano he is particularly fond of Jazz and Blues, taking inspiration from Oscar Peterson, Bill Evens, and Ray Charles. Nico would like to thank his teacher Katerina, and his family for supporting his piano as well as putting up with his practicing. Nico is excited to play original songs for you tonight, particularly his very own Pancakes Blues.
Alondra Vega
Cuban-born Alondra Vega-Zaldivar is a passionate artist that has learned many skills by wearing many hats. Composer, opera-singer, producer, and teacher, she joined the Arts Orillia team thanks to the Metcalf Internship and is now Artistic Producer.
​
Alondra is an associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre, as well as member of the Ontario Region Board, and part of the ACC committee. Her pieces have been performed across Canada, the United States and reaching as far as Croatia. She is currently working on a new family opera based on the legend of lake Simcoe’s ‘Kempenfelt Kelly.’
​
Alondra teaches piano and vocals at Modern Music, and in her free time, she Music Directs for South Simcoe Theatre.
Thank you Dan McCoy and St. Paul’s Centre, Dave Carrol, Chanpreet from Moving Champs, and Tobin Lippold for your support and contribution to the 2026 Arts Orillia Jazz Festival
With generous support from:
