Saxophonist-composer Immanuel Wilkins and the Lutosławski Quartet to hit Vancouver International Jazz Festival

Coastal Jazz also announced the second year of the New Improvisers Studio

COASTAL JAZZ HAS just announced a performance by saxophonist-composer Immanuel Wilkins with the Lutosławski Quartet at the 40th Vancouver International Jazz Festival on June 20 at Western Front. The show marks the Canadian premiere of a new work that Brooklyn-based, Philadelphia-raised Wilkins has composed for the group. Tickets go on sale to the public on April 3.

The Lutosławski Quartet is one of Europe’s foremost contemporary classical string quartets, specializing in the music of their namesake, Witold Lutosławski. It features Roksana Kwaśnikowska and Marcin Markowicz on violin, Artur Rozmysłowicz on viola, and Maciej Młodawski on cello, performing a blend of contemporary repertoire with classical, Romantic, and jazz music.

In the same announcement, Coastal Jazz confirmed the second year of the New Improvisers Studio, a week-long educational initiative for 10 young musicians aged 17 to 24 that supports collective explorations in improvisation through the mentorship of a Coastal Jazz artist in residence—Filipinx-American composer, percussionist, and sound artist Susie Ibarra—along with guests from the Vancouver International Jazz Festival.

The program will culminate in a performance open to the public on June 28 at Western Front.

You can find more information about the New Improvisers Studio at coastaljazz.ca.

Featured

Janet Smith

Janet Smith is founding partner and editorial director of Stir. She is a Webster Award–winning arts journalist who has spent more than three decades immersed in Vancouver’s performing arts, film, and gallery scenes. She sits on the Vancouver Film Critics’ Circle.

Articles

The Steve Maddock Quintet pays tribute to Tony Bennett at the Shadbolt Centre, October 15

Fresh arrangements bring the enduring artist’s legacy to life at the all-new VanJazz festival

Domestic life and video-game music shaped Basia Bulat’s most recent batch of songs

Montreal-based singer-songwriter talks about the dreamy layers of sound that went into her latest album—and stripping them away for her new EP and solo tour

Little Miss Higgins celebrates fall with her Harvest Tour at the Shadbolt Centre, October 1

Audiences can expect a heartwarming set, plus a merch table filled with homegrown garlic and handmade soap

At Come Toward the Fire, singer-songwriter Logan Staats values connections—to both audiences and other Indigenous artists

The Mohawk musician’s career trajectory has taken him from bar shows to The Launch to Nashville, but he’s always stayed grounded in his Six Nations community

Chutzpah! Festival unveils 2026 programming, with actor Ari’el Stachel, comedian Jacob Samuel, dance artist Meghann Michalsky, and more

The 26th annual edition spans theatre, dance, comedy, and music from November 3 to 15

Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves celebrate John Coltrane at the Chan Centre, October 13

The pair of Grammy Award winners honour the jazz legend’s legacy in honour of his centennial

Beacon of Light launches the Vancouver Chamber Choir's 56th season, October 2

Program features the Canadian premiere of Tawnie Olson’s Missa Brevis, kicking off her tenure as Composer-in-Residence

Singer-guitarist John Pizzarelli continues the storied tradition of Italian-American jazz

The New York artist draws on everything from the guitar work of legends like Joe Pass and his own father to the unmistakable voice of Tony Bennett—the inspiration of his latest album

Chor Leoni announces 2026–27 season featuring sea shanties, returning holiday favourites, and day of free concerts

A new series of public performances and a cross-country collaboration with La Nef and Seán Dagher mark the choir’s 35th season

Vancouver New Music unveils 2026–27 season, featuring artists from around the world

Japan’s Kuniko Kato Quartet opens the lineup as part of the VNM Festival: Open Frequencies, performing the music of Steve Reich

Mexico’s Silvana Estrada brings her eclectic influences to the Chan Centre on October 4

The singer-songwriter and Latin Grammy winner has collaborated with artists from all over the world, and she will perform with Vancouver’s own Black Dog String Quartet

Vetta Chamber Music launches its 41st season with Legacy, September 25 to 28

Former artistic director Joan Blackman, esteemed pianist Jane Coop, and newly appointed artistic director Hung-Wei Huang join forces onstage

Montreal’s Basia Bulat tours to the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, September 20

Singer-songwriter performs tracks off her latest album, playing guitar, piano, and autoharp

I Pagliacci opera triggers the tears of a clown, August 26 to September 5

Nebula Performances stages a full production of Ruggero Leoncavallo’s famous work, with Wanshuai Yu in the leading role

Pi Theatre and EDAM present the world premiere of birdcage, September 3 to 5

Meditative piece is a collaboration between interdisciplinary artist Alex Mah and violinist Ilana Waniuk

Improv Butoh rises again at Kokoro Dance’s KW Studios, August 21

Guitarist Cole Schmidt performs at a jazz-driven music-and-dance series reborn after the June passing of Tony Wilson

Elektra announces its 40th anniversary season with new voices and returning favourites

For 2026–27, the choir will premiere new commissions by Canadian composers Suba Sankaran and Alex Eddington, as well as revisiting works from its inaugural year