Formed in 1998, the Toronto Jazz Orchestra is an 18-piece big band made up of graduates from Toronto’s top university and college jazz programs – some of Toronto’s best young jazz musicians. Performing exciting and interesting big band music – from the leading edge of contemporary composition to the classic tunes of the past – the Toronto Jazz Orchestra seeks to educate, entertain, and increase the public’s understanding and appreciation of jazz.

Over the past twelve years the Toronto Jazz Orchestra has performed regularly at Toronto’s Rex Hotel; since winning the top prize at the Markham Jazz Festival’s Jazz Stars of the Future competition in 2000, the ensemble has appeared in the JVC, Beaches, Lakefield, Markham and Toronto Jazz Festivals.

Toronto Jazz Orchestra founder, Artistic Director and Conductor Josh Grossman is a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Jazz Performance Program where he studied trumpet with Chase Sanborn and Kevin Turcotte. He has performed in big bands under the direction of Phil Nimmons, Paul Read, Ron Collier and Paul Ashwell, and has played with The Whitney Smith Big Steam Band, Freeflight, the Array Jazz Orchestra, the Hamilton All-Star Jazz Band and the Chris Hunt Tentet. From 2006 to 2009 Josh was Artistic Director of the Markham Jazz Festival; in January, 2010, Josh was hired as Artistic Director for Toronto Downtown Jazz, which produces the annual TD Toronto Jazz Festival. Josh also works as administrator for Continuum Contemporary Music and Co-Chair of the Program Committee for the Jazz Performance and Education Centre.

Founder and Artistic Director
Josh Grossman

Saxophones
Chris Roberts
Taylor Cook
Chris Hunsburger * (also...)
Paul Metcalfe
Erica Jensen * 

Trombones
Christian Overton
Pat Blanchard
Mark Grieve
Sylvain Bedard

Trumpets
Steve Dyte
John Pittman
Patrice Barbonchon
Russell Macklem 

Rhythm
Todd Elsliger* (guitar)
Carissa Neufeld (piano)
Carlie Howell (bass)
Dave MacDougall (drums)

Voice
Sophia Perlman 

artist link
http://www.thetjo.com/