“...simply one of the most exceptional jazz pianists of his generation that Canada can boast of...”
Roger Levesque, Edmonton Journal"The piano man that ranks as one of Canada's national treasures..."
Chris Spector, Midwest Record
This masterclass is open to everyone, musicians and non-musicians alike, who would like to explore an interactive Q&A and masterclass with one of the county's finest pianists and educators! Admission is free (donations accepted).
David Restivo is an award-winning pianist and composer. Born in Lansing, Michigan, molded by the mountains and coasts of New England, and based primarily in Toronto, Canada since 1982, he has been a sought-after and influential figure in Canada’s jazz community since the late 1980s. He recently relocated to Nelson, BC after accepting an offer to join the full time music faculty at Selkirk College.
Well-known for his work with Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, the Mike Murley Quintet, and legendary songwriter Marc Jordan, David has performed and recorded with such renowned artists as Dave Holland, Curtis Fuller, Mel Tormé, Kenny Wheeler, Jon Hendricks, and David Clayton-Thomas. A dedicated music educator for over 20 years, he has previously taught at Humber College, the Banff Centre for the Arts, and the University of Toronto. His own teachers have included Muhal Richard Abrams, Jim McNeely, and Kenny Werner.
Immersed in the arts from birth, a chance discovery of a Dizzy Gillespie recording at an early age led him to eventually focus on jazz and improvised music, though he derives inspiration from a wide range of musical and non-musical sources, including John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Joni Mitchell, Genesis, Hazrat Inayat Khan, Gustav Mahler, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Marc Chagall, and J.S. Bach.