Pianist Amanda Tosoff grew up in White Rock B.C where she began studying music at an early age. She attended the prestigious music program at Semiahmoo Secondary school from 1996-2001, where she studied with award winning jazz educator Dave Proznick.
Tosoff continued on to study at Capilano College in North Vancouver BC, where she received a degree in Music - Jazz performance in 2005. At the college, Tosoff honed her piano skills under the tutelage of Juno award winning pianist Ross Taggart, Chris Sigarson and Lorne Kellett. She also studied with some of Canada's most prominent jazz educators and performers, including Mike Allen, Ihor Kukurudza, Rejean Marois, Al Wold and many more. At the college, Tosoff had the opportunity to perform with visiting luminaries Seamus Blake, Ed Thigpen, Nneena Freelon, Jane Bunnett, Rob McConnell, Phil Nimmons, Regina Carter, and Kristin Korb.
Tosoff has been a recipient of several awards including the Fraser MacPherson Scholarship, awards from the Vancouver Women's Musical Society, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and the Vancouver Foundation of the Arts.
Now at only 24 years of age, Tosoff is quickly emerging as one of Canada's top new talents. Already, she has had the pleasure of performing with internationally acclaimed artists such as Chuck Israels, Ingrid Jensen, Jon Wikon, Russ Botten, Brad Turner, Steve Wallace, Rob Scheps, Jay Thomas, Campbell Ryga, Jodi Proznick and many more. Her current project, the Amanda Tosoff Quartet, features four fellow award winning musicians: saxophonist Evan Arntzen, bassist Sean Cronin, and drummer Morgan Childs. In 2006, the quartet released their debut CD, Still Life (Cellar Live), to receive much critical acclaim.
Jim Santella of Cadence Magazine writes about the quartet and Still Life:
"...Tosoff shows great promise: as a composer, leader, and performer...Her quartet swings with a genuine spirit, and she interprets clearly with a crisp motion. .. she brings the piano into full view throughher calm demeanor and complete confidence."
The quartet received the CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award for best emerging group in 2007. They have opened for the likes of Bobby Hutcherson and Renee Rosnes, have been featured on CBC Radio programs “Hot Air” and “Jazz Beat”, and were recently chosen as one of seven Canadian bands to be featured on Espace Musique’s live concert series Portraits Jazz.
Last fall, Tosoff and her group are released their second CD, Wait and See, featuring Juno Award winning trumpeter Brad Turner. The disc charted on the US Jazz Week Charts for 11 weeks straight, and continues to show up on top ten lists around the US and Canada.
Read more...