Karl Schwonik Jazz Trio in Concert 6-7pm, Friday 20 January Music Centre, Churchill College ALL AGES, FREE ADMISSION
Karl Schwonik - Drums Chris McMurran - Piano Fred Smith - Bass
Join us for a concert filled with jazz music both contemporary and traditional. Karl Schwonik leads this dynamic trio showcasing his own compositions as well as pieces by McMurran. This concert is presented by the Churchill Music Society and sees two of the finest young musicians in Cambridge joining Schwonik on the stage.
"...Schwonik colors the [music] with an active imagination and serious technique…” - Frank Alkyer – DownBeat magazine
YAMAHA Drum Artist Karl Schwonik grew up on a farm near Gwynne, Alberta, Canada. Early on, he was exposed to a wide range of musical situations ranging from jazz to polka. Fresh out of high school, Schwonik embarked on a tour with 2-time Canadian Country Music Award Nominee Heather-Dawn. This was followed by an invitation to study at the Banff Centre where Schwonik was the youngest participant ever in the long-term career residency program.
Schwonik has an extremely active schedule; he has completed over thirty substantial tours as a leader. In his travels, Schwonik has performed in country barns, world-class jazz clubs and concert halls such as Carnegie Hall and the John F. Kennedy Center. His third of four recordings on Chronograph Records, 1+4, was #1 on Canadian jazz radio charts for nearly 2 months. Both 1+4 and Schwonik’s first album, Visions From the Farm, were nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award for ‘Jazz Recording of the Year’.
In 2008, Schwonik founded the Wetaskiwin Jazz Society in Wetaskiwin, AB. The WJS strives to build awareness for the arts in the central Alberta region with its three main programs: the Wetaskiwin Jazz Camp, Jazz-in-Schools and community concerts. In 2011, Schwonik joined the Board of Directors for the Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA). The AFA is a government agency responsible for disbursing nearly $30M annually in grants and scholarships to artists and arts organizations in Alberta.
In demand internationally as both a guest artist and instructor, Schwonik has taught students of all ages at over two hundred educational institutions. He regularly lectures on a broad range of topics in jazz, music business and artists coping with disabilities. Some of these institutions include: University of Toronto, Indiana University, University of Southern California, The Banff Centre, Brandon University, University of Lethbridge, Red Deer College, Denver School of the Arts, and Triton College Chicago.