Biography

Brian Katz is an internationally acclaimed guitarist, pianist, improviser, composer, and music educator. As a performer and composer, he is especially noted for his evocative compositions and fiery improvisations informed by the cultures of jazz, classical and various world music streams. Brian regularly tours internationally, often combining giving solo and ensemble concerts with lectures/workshops in music pedagogy, composition, improvisation, guitar/piano performance and Dalcroze Eurhythmics, a method of education exploring the intrinsic relationships between music and movement. Brian enjoys a diverse teaching career at both the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, and York University, where he teaches in the areas of classical, jazz, world music and open improvisation as well as having taught courses in klezmer, guitar pedagogy and music for health and wellness. His major mentors have included the innovative Canadian musician-composer, Fred Stone, guitarists Eli Kassner, Ralph Towner and Norbert Kraft, composition teacher, Sam Dolin and York Professor’s emeritus, South Indian drummer Trichy Sankaran and pianist Casey Sokol. Brian holds undergraduate and graduate degrees (Mus.M.) in Music Education from the University of Toronto, as well as a Dalcroze Eurhythmics Teaching Certificate from Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh. Brian’s academic/research interests include: Relationship of Movement to Music Cognition; Music Memory; Improvisation Pedagogy, Classical Improvisation and Psychological Dynamics Inherent in the Private Music Lesson. His writings have been featured in several publications including Orbit and Canadian Musician, and he has written articles for several journals including The American Dalcroze Journal. He has taught music in a variety of settings—from pre-school to university— for over 30 years. Brian’s music is published widely. In addition to contributing guitar compositions to the Royal Conservatory of Music Syllabus, he is the author of Guitar Music of Brian Katz: 3 Pieces for Classical or Jazz Guitarists (with a treatise and practicum on Tonal Improvisation, Chapin Press). Of Solana his CD for the prestigious German label, Bellaphon, the Belgian journal Jazz in Time wrote, “a recording of abundant intelligence.” The Toronto Star called his klezmer-based CD with Martin van de Ven, Collected Stories “enchanting.” Brian’s recording, Pashtes, in collaboration with 2023 Global Music JUNO recipient, Lenka Lichtenberg, received rave reviews and world-wide radio play. Some of Brian’s other stage and recording partners have included Grammy nominated/Juno winner Jane Bunnett, Grammy recipient/tabla master Sukhwinder Singh (Ry Cooder), jazz legend, Barry Harris, Juno nominated woodwind wiz, Ernie Tollar (KatzTollar), classical flautist and York U. colleague, Barbara Ackerman, virtuoso klezmer clarinetist’s Martin van de Ven and Jonno Lightstone, the late innovative flugelhornist /composer Fred Stone (Duke Ellington) and guitar duet partners, Mordy Ferber, Rob Piltch and York colleague, William Beauvais, with whom he recorded the CD, Bridges, a recording featuring original compositions inspired by the glories of Brazilian music. Brian’s solo guitar recording, Leaves Will Speak inspired noted European jazz journalist and author, Alexander Schmitz to write in Jazz Podium (Germany): “If you want music that speaks— here it is” www.briankatz.com