Name: The 5th Annual: Canadian Jazz Summit
Start: 2026-02-06T10:00:00-06:00
End: 2026-02-07T22:00:00-06:00
Location: Desautels Faculty of Music

Since its inception in 2020, the Canadian Jazz Summit has welcomed esteemed guests from across Canada to lead masterclasses, workshops, concert presentations and more at the Desautels Faculty of Music.
Join this year’s guest artists - saxophonist Tara Davis and vocalist Alex Samaras - for masterclasses and workshops Feb 6 & 7, and a grand finale concert on February 7 at the Desautels Concert Hall.
Please note masterclasses and workshops are FREE, and the grand finale concert is a ticketed event.
Masterclasses
Free and open to the public, these masterclasses will take place at the Desautels Faculty of Music at University of Manitoba
Friday, February 6 - Jazz Room at U of M
10:00 am - 11:15 am: Session with Alex Samaras - The Body as Instrument: Breath and Function
11:45 pm - 1:00 pm: Session with Tara Davidson - Harnessing the Creative Voices of Joshua Redman, Dick Oatts, Kenny Garrett, and Christine Jensen for Jazz Nonet
1:30 pm - 2:45 pm: Session with Alex Samaras - Singing Rounds as a Springboard for Improvisation
3:30 pm - 6:00 pm: Open Rehearsal
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Saturday, February 7 - Jazz Room at U of M
10:00 am - 11:15 am: Session with Tara Davidson - The Linguistics of Jazz
11:45 am - 1:00 pm: Session with Alex Samaras - Evolution of an Artist: Betty Carter
1:30 pm - 2:45 pm: Session with Tara Davidson - All of My Favourite Things
7:30 pm: Ticketed Finale Concert ($20+Fees)
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About the Guest Artists
Tara Davidson is a JUNO Award–winning alto and soprano saxophonist who has performed internationally at venues including Carnegie Hall, the North Sea Jazz Festival, the JZ Jazz Club in Shanghai, and the Kennedy Center. A prolific bandleader and collaborator, she has released eight albums—six of them JUNO-nominated—and contributed to more than forty recordings, earning additional nominations and a 2020 JUNO Award as a member of Ernesto Cervini’s Turboprop. Davidson has received numerous honours, including selections for the Canadian National Jazz Orchestra, the European Youth Jazz Orchestra, and finalist recognition in both the Mary Lou Williams saxophone competition and the Toronto Arts Foundation’s Emerging Jazz Artist Award. Beyond jazz, she maintains a versatile freelance career across woodwinds with major theatre companies and orchestras, performing with artists from Oliver Jones to the Yellowjackets. She teaches at the University of Toronto and York University and is a Yamaha Artist.

Alex Samaras is acclaimed as one of North America’s leading vocalists in jazz, experimental, and new music, having performed with the Meredith Monk Vocal Ensemble, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Jackie Richardson, and Marvin Hamlisch. He leads the vocal ensemble GREX, exploring the outer edges of the human voice, and has toured nationally with celebrated groups such as A Sondheim Jazz Project and The Queer Songbook Orchestra. Under the name TRYAL, he released his debut solo album in 2017 and has since appeared at festivals across Canada, premiering new operas, originating roles in musicals, and contributing to numerous recordings. His interdisciplinary work includes collaborations with prominent choreographers and a dedicated movement practice. A committed educator, Samaras teaches at the University of Toronto and Humber College, works with national music camps, conducts a 200-voice student chorus, and founded the PAL Chorale for seniors in Toronto.