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Brian Katz is an internationally acclaimed guitarist, pianist, recording artist, improviser, composer, and music educator. As a performer and composer, he is noted for bringing classical and world music influences to modern jazz and Jewish music, and is highly regarded as a “free” music improviser, where he blends many of his influences into coherent musical statements. He holds Mus. Bach. and Mus. M. degrees (Music Education) from the University of Toronto, and Dalcroze Eurhythmics Certification—a method of education exploring the intrinsic relationships between music and movement— from Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh. Brian also studied jazz at Humber College in Toronto, composition and classical guitar at the Royal Conservatory of Music, and various subjects at York University, Toronto. Brian has taught music in a variety of settings—from pre-school to university— for over 25 years. His major mentors have included the innovative Canadian musician-composer, Fred Stone, guitarists Eli Kassner, Ralph Towner and Norbert Kraft, South Indian drumming virtuoso Trichy Sankaran, pianist/improvising virtuoso, Casey Sokol and the late great composition teacher, Sam Dolin.
At the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, Brian teaches a variety of courses that prepare prospective teachers of music for careers as elementary and high school music teachers: Guitar for the Classroom; Movement and Music: Dalcroze Eurhythmics and other music education pedagogy courses. In addition, Brian leads Klezmer ensembles at the University of Toronto, and at York University, Toronto, where he also instructs courses in Contemporary Improvisation, and Classical and Jazz Guitar. Brian recently also joined the faculty at Ryerson University, Toronto, where he is instructing a course in arts education for 4th year Early Childhood Education majors.
Highly regarded as a soloist and composer, Brian also collaborates widely. His stage/recording partners have included Grammy nominated/Juno winner saxophonist/flutist Jane Bunnett, Grammy recipient/tabla master Sukhwinder Singh, classical flautist Barbara Ackerman, virtuoso klezmer clarinetist Martin van de Ven, the late innovative Fred Stone (who toured/recorded with Duke Ellington), singers Lenka Lichtenberg, Allan Merovitz, Beth Anne Cole, Bob Wiseman, Theresa Tova, Shura Lipovsky, Michael Alpert (Brave Old World), jazz oboist Paul McCandless (of the group Oregon) and guitarists Mordy Ferber, Rob Piltch and William Beauvais. Of Solana, his CD for the prestigious German label, Bellaphon, the Belgian journal Jazz in Time wrote, "a recording of abundant intelligence.” The Toronto Star called his klezmer CD with Martin van de Ven, Collected Stories, “enchanting.” Brian’s latest CD with Lenka Lichtenberg, Pashtes, has received rave reviews (WholeNote CD of the month) and is currently getting international airplay. Leaves Will Speak, a solo guitar project featuring Brian’s compositions and improvisations is due to be released in 2012.
For the last four years, Brian has worked alongside jazz legend and Grammy lifetime achievement award recipient, Barry Harris, preparing and conducting Dr. Harris’ mass choral works for combined children’s choirs, culminating in performances (Koerner Hall, Toronto Ctr. For the Arts) that featured Dr. Harris, various high school choirs and legendary saxophonist, Charles McPherson. The project, “We Are One,” spearheaded by jazz educator/pianist Howard Rees, is dedicated to continuing to bring jazz music into economically disadvantaged areas.
Brian also regularly tours with internationally beloved storyteller, Dan Yashinsky, and they have received critical acclaim for their work, “Talking You In.” (story by Dan, music by Brian). “Talking You In” is a 40-minute work interweaving prose, poetry, instrumental and vocal music, which tells the story of a family journey through the harrowing realm of a neo-natal intensive care unit. It shows how storytelling can provide an essential link to our humanity in the medical environments that both save and silence us in modern life.
In addition to contributing guitar compositions to the Royal Conservatory of Music Syllabus, Brian is the author of Guitar Music of Brian Katz: 3 Pieces for Classical or Jazz Guitarists (with a treatise and practicum on Tonal Improvisation). His academic/research interests include: Relationship of Movement to Music Cognition; Music Memory; Improvisation Pedagogy, Classical Improvisation, and Dynamics Inherent in the Private Music Lesson. His writings have been featured in several publications including Orbit and Canadian Musician, and he has written articles for several journals including The American Dalcroze Journal.
Brian has invented two offshoots of Dalcroze Eurhythmics: Yidrhythmics and JazzRhythmics. Here, participants are invited into the joyous world of Jewish/Jazz music through invigorating combinations of singing, movement explorations, improvisation, and musical games. Brian has presented ‘JAZZRHYTHMICS’ at the Art of Jazz Festival, and parts of the program have aired on CBC radio; Brian has regularly taught this program as part of the Jazz 4 Kids program at Jazz FM.
Mr. Katz has received several awards from the Canada and Ontario Arts Councils, and has been artist-in-residence at Franklin Pierce College, New Hampshire, and Ridley College in St. Catherine’s, Ontario. When he is not teaching at the universities, Brian tours internationally, giving solo and ensemble concerts, and lectures/workshops in Dalcroze Eurhythmics, music pedagogy, composition, improvisation and guitar/piano performance.
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