The Victoria Jazz Society was founded in 1981. We produce two major multi-day music festivals every summer, TD Victoria International JazzFest, and the Harbour Blues 'n Roots Festival, as well as a series of concerts from September to May every year.
The TD Victoria International JazzFest (formerly known as JazzFest International), is a ten-day music festival featuring the jazz, blues and world music of local, Canadian, and internationally acclaimed musicians. The “grandfather” of music festivals serving audiences in Vancouver and Gulf Islands region, the TD JazzFest offers its devoted audience a wide scope of programming comparable to much larger festivals in significantly larger urban areas. Since its inception in 1985, the festival has been presented and produced by the Victoria Jazz Society.
As well as TD JazzFest, the Victoria Jazz Society (VJS) also presents a second annual music festival, the Harbour Blues 'n Roots Festival (formerly known as Vancouver Island Blues Bash), has marked the end of sumer in Victoria for over 30 years. HBR features blues and roots artists/bands in both free and paid admission performances, taking place over two afternoons and three nights.
In addition to its two music festivals, the VJS also presents a Fall/Winter/Spring Presentation Series, an annual September to April concert season of six presentations featuring local, national and international artists. Throughout each year the VJS facilitates a number of workshop/clinics with touring artists for the benefit and development of local music students and the general public at no cost to the attendees.
ABOUT THE VJS
The Victoria Jazz Society is a not-for-profit registered charity, governed by a Board of Directors, with a track record of fiscal responsibility. The VJS has an excellent reputation for the management, programming, production and promotion of world-class events. We work closely with corporate sponsors and government funders/grantors to deliver exceptional promotional value, arts/cultural programming and a very strong return on investment.
The Victoria Jazz Society is a professional arts organization committed to presenting the highest quality of jazz possible to our community, by presenting music in performance, with acclaimed musicians.
Through its innovative artistic vision, the VJS has attracted thousands of leading artists from around the world to perform in Victoria. Hundreds of thousands of fans have enjoyed many outstanding festival and non-festival performances that have featured the full spectrum of jazz and improvised music from the traditional and mainstream to the avant-garde, as well as world music and the blues.