Amanda Tosoff, a B.C.-raised, Toronto-based pianist and composer, has six albums to her name. As a bandleader and side-woman, she has performed with internationally-recognized artists such as Emilie-Claire Barlow, Ingrid and Christine Jensen, Brad Turner, Phil Dwyer, and many more. Her own bands have performed at festivals throughout Canada and internationally, opening for jazz legends like Bobby Hutcherson and Renee Rosnes and Oliver Jones. Amanda has been awarded many honours including the Montreal Jazz Festival Grand Prix de Jazz and the Toronto Arts Foundation Emerging Jazz Artist Award. Most recently, Amanda was nominated for a Juno and mentioned on the Polaris Prize Longer List. Amanda’s rich and varied work has earned her recognition as “an assured and forward-thinking voice” (Greg Buium and Vancouver Sun), on the Canadian jazz scene. She is a Humber College faculty member and has been a featured clinician and artist at conferences and universities, including the 2020 Canadian Jazz Summit. Along with Jodi Proznick, bassist/educator, and Francesca Fung, Amanda is co-artistic directors of Music Arts Collective, an online education company. Amanda is a master of jazz piano and has a keen ability to find inspiration from many sources. Amanda’s Words album featured Felicity Williams, a highly-respected singer from Broken Social Scene and Bahamas. Words, which combines poetry, jazz, and art-song, received great acclaim. It also revealed “a well-developed knack of animating her material avec fine counterpoint et colourful sonic combinations.” (Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen). Amanda was also nominated for her first Juno (Canada’s equivalent to the Grammys). Amanda’s sixth album, Earth Voices, is her sixth as a leader. She continues to take the stylistic and creative leaps she made with Words. This time, Amanda draws on poetry that has a deep personal connection and emotional connection. She invites Alex Goodman to join her strings and guest saxophonists Allison Au, Kelly Jefferson, and expand her ensemble texture. A sterling and versatile group of singers is also recruited — Emilie-Claire Barlow and Robin Dann, Laila Biali and Lydia Persaud, Alex Samaras and Michelle Willis, as well as Felicity Williams and Felicity Wilkins — to help bring new life to the words of Edgar Allan-Poe and Pablo Neruda. Tosoff is poised to share the next steps in her journey with the world with a calm demeanor, complete confidence, and an honest, genuine, and giving spirit. from https://amandatosoff.com
