Improvisers-in-Residence 2024 – Jimmy Weinstein and Lilly Santon
In late September 2024, IICSI and Musagetes invited the renowned improvisers and educators Jimmy Weinstein and Lilly Santon to Guelph, Ontario, to continue building their 25+ year project exploring the ways in which improvisation can help build safe creativity environments.
Hitting the ground running, Jimmy and Lilly set up a series of Open Sessions, inviting artists of all skills levels and experience to join them for a series of free-form, interdisciplinary artistic workshops at ImprovLab, IICSI’s state-of-the-art research facility. The series of open workshops will build towards a culminating public performance on October 24 at 7:00 PM (ET) at ImprovLab.
These Open Sessions are now underway! (And YOU are invited to join them!)
IICSI’s Improvisers-in-Residence Open Sessions
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays, October 3–October 22 (Six Workshops)
Where: ImprovLab (108 MacKinnon Building, 87 Trent Lane, University of Guelph Campus)
Time: 2:00 PM–5:00 PM
Who: Ages 16 and up—all skill levels and experience welcome!
Cost: Free!
Jimmy Weinstein and Lilly Santon (Padua, Italy), IICSI’s Improvisers-in-Residence for the Fall 2024 season, invite you to a series of Open Sessions designed to explore the limitless possibilities of interdisciplinary improvisation. With over 25 years of experience fostering safe creativity environments, our improvisers-in-residence are eager to collaborate with you!
What to Expect:
- Interdisciplinary Exploration: Whether your passion is music, dance, painting, poetry, or any other art form, this space is open to all creative expressions.
- Flexible Participation: Who shows up is who shows up! Feel free to drop in or out at any time—no commitment required.
- Hands-On Creativity: Bring your own instruments or materials, use what we have available, or simply come to observe and be inspired.
- Spontaneous Programming: Each session is a fresh canvas. Activities are decided in the moment, ensuring a unique and engaging experience every time.
Why Join Us?
- Collaborate Across Disciplines: Break down artistic barriers and create something entirely new.
- Learn and Grow: Whether you’re a seasoned artist or just starting out, there’s something here for everyone.
- Community Building: Connect with like-minded individuals in a supportive and inspiring environment.
No registration required—just bring your creativity and an open mind!
For more information, contact Jordan Zalis at: [email protected]
Come play, create, and explore with us. We hope to see you there!
More About the Improvisers-in-Residence Program
Each year IICSI and Musagetes invite an improvising performer to spend time in Guelph-Kitchener-Waterloo as the Improviser-in-Residence to develop an improvisational community project.
More About the Artists
Jimmy Weinstein / drums, piano, guitar, composer
Born in Chicago, Jimmy moved with his family to California and Spain. A Berklee College of Music alumnus ’89 and leader of a consortium of New York based ensembles, Jimmy has been on the move for over 25 years, touring the US, Europe and Japan. Major associations include recordings and tours with virtuoso improvisers, Ahmed Abdullah, Chris Cheek, Ben Monder, Satoko Fujii, Alex Harding, Jeff Parker, Oscar Noriega, Natsuki Tamura, Frank Carlberg, Elie Massias, Dan Fox, Sten Hostfalt, Masa Kamaguchi and Matt Renzi. As a sideman he has worked supporting Sheila Jordan, Noah Preminger, Rachel Gould, Greg Burk, Marcello Tonolo and Reggie Veal.
In collaboration with Abdullah, Harding and Kamaguchi he founded the adventurous and highly acclaimed melodic quartet NAM, whose album Song of Time was voted among the top 25 all time live performances by critic Kevin Whitehead. As a leader, his discography contains albums released by Fresh Sound, Clean Feed, Accurate, CIMP, El Gallo Rojo and Gunther Schuller’s GM Recordings. Among Weinstein’s current projects, is a quartet featuring the pianist extraordinaire Satoko Fujii, in addition to trumpeter Natsuki Tamura and vocalist Lilly Santon . As a teacher, Weinstein’s experience has brought forth TRAVELING SCHOOL PLAYJAZZ, an organization dedicated to conducting jazz workshops where he often performs with his students. Jimmy’s new quintet features Chris Cheek, Ben Monder, Tom Beckham and Dave Ambrosio, all musicians who he has worked with over the past 25 years, coming together to perform Jimmy’s new compositions on his latest album “Sobrinos”.
Traveling School Playjazz has been organizing the yearly jazz workshop at the acclaimed Mallorca Jazz Sa Pobla Festival since 2006. Over the years Jimmy has coordinated workshops with leading artists including Lee Konitz, Sheila Jordan, Chris Cheek, Dennis Irwin, Matt Garrison, Noah Preminger, Dan Fox, Toni Miranda, Pedro Cortejosa, Perico Sambeat, Marco Mezquida, Paolo Porta and Carlo Cattano.
Lilly / Liliana Santon / vocalist
Lilly Santon trained as an architect before venturing into the world of jazz and energy therapy. After spending her formative years in Brazil, she attended middle and high school in Padua, Italy and received her degree in architecture from the University of Venice.
Lilly lived in New York and Munich between 1980 and 2003 where she worked as an architect and studied jazz with the likes of Barry Harris, Sheila Jordan, Mark Murphy and Jay Clayton. During the 80’s in New York she performed with Don Cherry’s Collective Ensemble alongside Jim Pepper, Bob Moses, Dennis Charles and Clarence “C” Sharpe. While deepening her musical studies, she trained in bio-energetic therapy, which has been integrated into her teaching methods in private classes and workshops. In 2003, she moved to Italy and Spain, and co-founded the Cultural Association Traveling School. Lilly performs regularly with Satoko Fujii, Jimmy Weinstein Quintet, and different formations of the Traveling School Band.
Projects include Sten Hosfalt’s Microtonal Ensemble Dimensional States; vocal duet improvisations with renowned composer Constance Cooper; 2014 appereances in NYC recording sessions with Jimmy Weinstein Quintet, Noah Preminger. New collaborations 2016/2017 include Johnny Lapio’s Porta Palace featuring Satoko Fukjii, Giancarlo Schiaffini and Natsuki Tamura. Story Told By Sound a multi-media project with Elie Massias and Jimmy Weinstein.
