The 2017 TD Halifax Jazz Festival and Stingray Music announce Juno Award-winning saxophonist, composer and arranger, Allison Au, is the winner of the 2017 Stingray Rising Star Contest.
Au’s music transports you to a place where instrumentals ring bold and emotions run free. Melodies cascade and collide, highlighting Au’s gift for layering voices and rhythms. Her writing showcases the color and character of each instrument, while providing ample room for her dedicated bandmates to push her compositions to new heights.
It’s no wonder Ms. Au seized the 2016 Juno for “Best Jazz Album of The Year: Group,” for “Forest Grove.” Formed in 2009, the Allison Au Quartet has toured extensively in Canada and the US.
The Stingray Rising Stars program offers cash awards and showcase opportunities to emerging Canadian artists. Last year, at the 2016 TD Halifax Jazz Festival, the award was presented to trumpeter and composer Rachel Therrien.
“We are thrilled to offer talented Canadian musicians the opportunity to pursue their dreams and grow their careers nationally and internationally,” said Mathieu Péloquin, Senior Vice-President, Marketing and Communications of Stingray. “Since 1998, thanks to partners of unflagging enthusiasm such as the TD Halifax Jazz Festival, the Stingray Rising Star program has pursued its mission of encouraging and promoting artists who show remarkable promise and who will contribute to promoting Canada’s creativity and artistry on the world stage. We are honoured to be part of the journey of so many wonderful artists.”
This year’s winner will receive $3,000 to help carry out their career goals. Votes were calculated through a two-tiered process of peer assessment and online voting. Online voting took place during the festival, July 12-16.
About Stingray Music
Stingray Music is committed to putting Canadian musicians on the map! That is why they created the Stingray Rising Stars Program. Launched in 1998 as Galaxie Rising Star, this original program sets out to discover, encourage, promote and champion new up-and-coming Canadian artists. More than 500 artists have benefited from the Rising Stars Program including Arcade Fire, Matt Mays and Elliott Brood.
