The Victoria Jazz Society was founded in 1981. We produce two major multi-day music festivals every summer, TD Victoria International JazzFest, and the Vancouver Island Blues Bash, 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. The festival will celebrate its 34th edition in 2017.
As well as TD Victoria International JazzFest, the Victoria Jazz Society (VJS) also presents a second annual music festival, traditionally held on the Labour Day weekend. This festival, the Vancouver Island Blues Bash, will be entering its 24th year in 2017. Blues Bash features blues and R & B artists/bands in both free and paid admission performances, taking place over three afternoons and two - three nights.
In addition to its two music festivals, the VJS also presents a Fall/Winter/Spring Concert Series, an annual mid-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, including world beat and the blues.