WESTERN FRONT – The New Improvisers Studio with Susie Ibarra

A group of around ten musicians sit in a semicircle in the Grand Luxe Hall. The group features string, woodwind, and brass musicians. The camera is focused on the side profiles of three young guitarists.

Western Front and Coastal Jazz are pleased to present The New Improvisers Studio, a free week-long educational initiative for up to ten young musicians aged 17 to 24.

The New Improvisers Studio supports collective explorations in musical improvisation through the mentorship of a world leading improviser from the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. This year the Studio will be led by the acclaimed composer, percussionist, and sound artist Susie Ibarra, and will explore listening, field recording, spatial mapping, playing, practicing, and notations of rhythm in the natural world.

Taking place daily at Western Front and its surrounding neighbourhood, the Studio will involve workshops from June 24 – 27, 2025, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., and will culminate with a public performance on June 28, 2025 at 1 p.m.

Please note, participants are responsible for bringing their own instrument and managing their transportation to and from the workshops. All participants will be provided with lunch daily and a free festival pass for the Vancouver International Jazz Festival.

A young person with short-cropped brown hair stands with one arm raised to the ceiling, facing a row of musicians. They wear black pants and a brown long-sleeve shirt. The group features several guitarists, a pianist, and a brass musician.

How to Participate

The New Improvisers Studio is open to young musicians aged 17 to 24 from all music backgrounds and levels of experience. To participate, please submit an expression of interest to info@westernfront.ca with the subject line “The New Improvisers Studio EOI” no later than May 23, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

Expressions of interest can be submitted in writing, video, or audio recording of no more than 500 words or 3 minutes length, and should address the following questions:
* What is your chosen instrument?
* Describe your musical background and experience.
* Why are you interested in exploring improvisation?
* What is your ambition as a musician and how will this opportunity help you to achieve this?

Successful applicants will be notified by June 1, 2025.

About the Artist

Susie Ibarra is a Filipinx-American composer, percussionist, and sound artist. Her work encompasses performance, mobile sound-mapping applications, multichannel audio installations, recording, and production. Across her interdisciplinary practice, many of Ibarra’s projects are based in cultural and environmental preservation. Her sound research focuses on the stewardship of glaciers and freshwaters, and she has published writing on the ecology of rhythm in the environment.

Acknowledgements

Presented in partnership by Coastal Jazz and Western Front, with the support of the Government of Canada, Creative BC, Deux Mille Foundation, and the SOCAN Foundation

The New Improvisers Studio, photo documentation, Jun 26, 2024. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.

The New Improvisers Studio, photo documentation, Jun 26, 2024. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
The New Improvisers Studio, open rehearsal documentation, Jun 28, 2024. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.

The New Improvisers Studio, open rehearsal documentation, Jun 28, 2024. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.

Western Front is a non-profit artist-run centre in Vancouver.

We acknowledge the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations as traditional owners of the land upon which Western Front stands.