About this Event
Featuring Brazil/Canada Connection, a long-time collaboration between Brazilian pianist/composer Denis Nassar (originally from Sao Paolo) and John Reid (saxophone and flute).
Denis Nassar Baptista is a Brazilian-Canadian composer, pianist, and educator whose work blends Brazilian rhythmic traditions with contemporary classical language. His music spans orchestral, chamber, choral, electroacoustic, and multimedia contexts, often exploring cultural identity, rhythm, and musical storytelling. A multi-award-winning composer, Denis has had his music performed by ensembles such as Land’s End Ensemble, the University of Calgary Orchestra, Orchestre Métropolitain, and the Calgary Wind Symphony. He is an Assistant Professor of Music at Trinity Western University, where he teaches in both the Music and Game Development programs.
John Reid has been a member of the musicians union for over 50 years, performing on saxophone, clarinet, flute, vocals, percussion. During that time he has performed on stage with Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony-winning celebrities. He is an associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre, Prairie Region and an affiliate of SOCAN. He taught jazz history and related subjects at the University of Calgary for 42 years and for 36 years was Prairie regional Director of Canadian Music Centre working full time with and for Canadian classical music composers. He did weekly FM radio shows on air consecutively from 1981 to 2024 — 43 years. He is the leader of his own Latin jazz aggregation called Caravan and has released three commercial albums. Reid performs regularly with Caravan and the John Reid Soul-Blues-Jazz Quartet in Calgary at: the Kensington Legion, Kawa Café, Alvin‘s Jazz Club, Gulbar, Central United Church, and for the Jazz Nebula Society.
Event venue & nearby stays
Scarboro United Church, 134 Scarboro Avenue, Calgary, Canada
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.