Wellington Jazz Academy

Wellington Jazz Academy Wellington Music Society is the parent volunteer community supporting the Wellington bands. The results are stellar, sealing Nanaimo’s name in the jazz world.

Nurture the passion within and let the music begin

The Wellington Jazz Academy inspires the next generation of musicians and arts supporters! With leading lights like Christine and Ingrid Jensen and Diana Krall already on the international scene, Nanaimo has an established reputation as a jazz hotbed. And the consistent high performance of Carmella Luvisottos’ students from the Wellington Jazz Academy Program is maintaining that reputation. A MusicFest jazz venue master of ceremonies set the record straight, saying, “It's not in the water; it's in the hard work.”

Students at Wellington Secondary enroll in the Jazz Academy as part of their curricular studies from Grade 9 through Grade 12. The program includes band classes and for those looking at a more intense improvisation and theory studies, the Jazz Studies course. Nanaimo’s Jazz Academy is one of a handful of Canadian high school programs focused on jazz studies. At Wellington, the students develop the musical and improvisational skills needed to perform jazz standards and charts both as a team and as individuals. The students augment their studies by travelling from Nanaimo to Vancouver, British Columbia; Moscow, Idaho; Monterey, California; Toronto and Ottawa, Ontario to compete in recognized jazz festivals. Thank you for supporting the Wellington Jazz Academy Program – the future of jazz music in Canada.

Check your inbox band families! Ticket requests are now open for Spaghetti Dinner, our biggest fundraiser of the year! R...
10/10/2026

Check your inbox band families! Ticket requests are now open for Spaghetti Dinner, our biggest fundraiser of the year! Request yours soon! Tickets go fast for this event and will not be available at the door.

09/26/2026

It's bottle drive day! Don't forget to bring your empties to the upper parking lot at Wellington from 10-2!

Band families! We need volunteers for the bottle drive next weekend. Click the link to volunteer! https://volunteersignu...
09/19/2026

Band families! We need volunteers for the bottle drive next weekend. Click the link to volunteer! https://volunteersignup.org/7X784

Hello band families! We're ready to get back in the 🎶 swing 🎶 of things with our first fundraiser and bottle drive of the year on Sept. 26, so SAVE YOUR EMPTIES! We'll need SORTERS and DRIVERS. Gr. 9-12 families, share this post and watch your emails for the sign-up link to volunteer where you can!

Check out this fundraiser led by our Sr. Jazz Band Parents and get your tickets before they sell out!
09/12/2026

Check out this fundraiser led by our Sr. Jazz Band Parents and get your tickets before they sell out!

There is a Sr. Jazz Band Raffle on sale now. For $2/ticket, you'll be entered to win 1 of 2 awesome grand prizes! 3 tickets to the Canucks home game on Nov. 21, or 1 night at Tigh-Na-Mara resort in Parksville. Draw date is Sept. 27, must be 19+ to buy. Contact [email protected] to purchase tickets! Proceeds of this fundraiser support the students of the Wellington Jazz Academy Sr. Jazz Band.

All band parents are invited to the annual Band Parent Information Meeting on Sept. 22 at 7:00pm in the band room. Learn...
09/11/2026

All band parents are invited to the annual Band Parent Information Meeting on Sept. 22 at 7:00pm in the band room. Learn about festivals, trips, fundraising and events, and how to get involved with the band parent council as well. See you there!

First fundraiser of the year! Watch your emails and sign up!
09/11/2026

First fundraiser of the year! Watch your emails and sign up!

Hello band families! We're ready to get back in the 🎶 swing 🎶 of things with our first fundraiser and bottle drive of the year on Sept. 26, so SAVE YOUR EMPTIES! We'll need SORTERS and DRIVERS. Gr. 9-12 families, share this post and watch your emails for the sign-up link to volunteer where you can!

06/06/2026

Thirty-two Wellington students returned from the nationals in Niagara Falls with nine gold awards, competing alongside 9,500 student musicians from across the country.

MusicFest Canada gold medals were awarded to the Wellington Senior Jazz Band; the Wellington Grade 12 Jazz Combo; the Skates/Bernabe/Watson/Mitchell Combo; the Grade 11 Combo; the Catton-Cox Quartet; the Grade 11 Armour/Luvisotto Baird Combo; Slide by Slide; the Tomkins/Luvisotto Baird Duo; and the Grade 10 Jazz Combo.

Congratulations to our talented student-musicians!

Congrats to our Sr Jazz Band and Eight Jazz combos who returned from MusicFest Canada The Nationals in Niagara Falls wit...
05/24/2026

Congrats to our Sr Jazz Band and Eight Jazz combos who returned from MusicFest Canada The Nationals in Niagara Falls with nine gold awards.

Special congratulations to trombonist Sophia Luvisotto Baird, who was selected from hundreds of applicants across Canada as one of 18 musicians chosen to perform in the Conn-Selmer Centerstage Jazz Band honour ensemble.

Nine Wellington students also received individual honour awards for their performances: vocalist Samantha Skates, tenor saxophonist Dukane Podritske, drummer Anton Watson, alto saxophonist Cameron Catton-Cox, baritone saxophonist Emmalee Armour, trumpeter Jack Keltie, pianist Ivy Holmberg, trombonist Sophia Luvisotto Baird, and drummer Norah Dang.

🌼Join us as we showcase our amazing musicians one last time this year! 🌼 Spring concerts take place at Wellington Second...
05/21/2026

🌼Join us as we showcase our amazing musicians one last time this year! 🌼

Spring concerts take place at Wellington Secondary, in the MPR at 7:00pm, May 26 (Senior Bands) and June 1 (Junior Bands). Admission is by donation, which supports the Lou Arnone Scholarship fund.

Address

3135 Mexicana Road
Nanaimo, BC
V9T2W8

Telephone

+12507589191

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Wellington Jazz Academy posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category