Tyshawn Sorey will join pianist Vijay Iyer as co-director of the 2018 Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music: Video

Tyshawn Sorey, winner in 2017 of a $625,000 grant to pursue “creative inclinations”, is to co-direct the 2018 Banff jazz workshop.

Tyshawn Sorey will join pianist Vijay Iyer as co-director of the 2018 Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music, the Banff Centre has announced. Iyer has been artistic director of the programme since 2013 and Sorey has joined the workshop in previous years as a faculty member.

Sorey is currently assistant professor of Composition and Creative Musics at Wesleyan University. He has released six albums as leader and has worked with numerous internationally known jazz musicians including John Zorn, Evan Parker, Myra Melford and Iyer. In 2017 he was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (known as a “genius grant”) for $625,000 to “pursue his own creative, intellectual and professional inclinations.” Iyer is a previous recipient of this award.

As co-artistic director for the 2018 Banff International Workshop in Jazz & Creative Music, Sorey will be responsible for pushing the programme’s creative vision to develop and challenge participants’ creative music ideas and abilities.

“Banff Centre is delighted to welcome back Tyshawn Sorey, one of our most talented faculty and performers, in this expanded role”, said Russell Willis Taylor, acting vice president, Arts and Leadership at Banff Centre. “Tyshawn has been an important part of the Banff family and our participants have benefited immeasurably from his engagement with us. It is a particular pleasure to have him take on the role of Co-Artistic Director with Vijay Ayer, which demonstrates the type of collegial generosity that is the hallmark of this program”.

The Banff International Workshop in Jazz & Creative Music is designed for emerging and established musicians looking to open new creative horizons, challenge themselves artistically or refine their skills. The 2018 International Workshop will run from 6-25 August. More information, including details of how to apply for the 2018 workshop, can be found at the Banff Centre webpage.