Phil Nimmons

Phil Nimmons is not only a world-class clarinetist, but also one of Canada's most celebrated and prolific composers. In addition to over 400 jazz compositions, he has also written contemporary classical works for piano, strings and other instruments, composed original scores for CBC Radio and TV, for film, and for theatre specials. His works have been commissioned for Expo '67, World Music Week and the 1976 Olympics. That same year, his composition The Atlantic Suite won the Juno award for Jazz. His work The Torch was commissioned for the 1988 Winter Olympics. His Woodwind Quintet with Piano received it's world premiere at the Festival of the Sound in 1997. As an educator, he founded and taught at the Advanced School of Contemporary Music along with Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown. Now in his seventies, Nimmons still teaches regularly, instilling his life-long enthusiasm for music to new generations. His most popular group, Nimmons 'N Nine Plus Six has toured internationally to rave reviews and has over the years featured many of Canada's top jazz musicians.