Phil nimmons biography

Philip Rista Nimmons was.
Born in Kamloops BC, Phil Nimmons, OC OOnt is leader of NIMMONS 'N' NINE PLUS SIX and the PHIL NIMMONS QUARTET.
Nimmons, Phil (Philip Rista).

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Phil Nimmons O.C., O. Ont. is often referred to as the “Dean of Canadian jazz”, and is known for his work as a clarinetist, bandleader, composer, arranger and educator. In the 1940s, he began his musical career in Vancouver with the Ray Norris quintet, and wrote music for CBC radio plays. After attending the Julliard School and the Royal Conservatory of Music, he inevitably formed his own bands, most notably the popular group Nimmons ‘N’ Nine and later Nimmons ‘N’ Nine Plus Six. Over his lifetime, he has composed and arranged an astounding amount of material for a wide range of formats and styles, including big band, film scores, contemporary chamber and orchestral works.

A founding member of the Canadian League of Composers, he also co-founded the Advanced School of Contemporary Music with Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown. Phil had a major influence on establishing many jazz programs across Canada, and taught at the University of Toronto, Jazz Studies program for over 45 years.

Phil was awarded the inaugural JUNO Award for best jazz album in 1977. In 2001, Phil

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Phil Nimmons

Phil Nimmons has been a Yamaha Clarinet artist for more than 25 years! Originally from Kamloops, B.C., 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

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A celebration of the life and career of Phil Nimmons (b. Kamloops, BC 3 June 1923; d. Toronto 5 April 2024) was held at Walter Hall in the University of Toronto on the evening of Wednesday, October 23, 2024. Before a packed crowd of friends, family, colleagues, and former students, the many invited speakers and performers offered a fitting tribute to this great composer, arranger, bandleader, clarinettist, and educator. Phil was a ubiquitous presence in Canadian music circles across this country during a career that lasted some 70 years. Although best known for his work as a jazz musician and educator, he was also a gifted classical music composer and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to improve the lot of all Canadian musicians. Much loved by all who knew him, he remained active as an educator and performer well into his 90s.

Heather Bambrick was the host for the evening, interspersing witty, entertaining, profound, and always beautifully expressed commentary throughout the evening. She told a story about a student workshop run by Phil at which he played a recording of environ