In its inaugural year, our Jazz Ambassadors program connects young musicians with audiences across the festival to chat about music, what the future of jazz holds, and how you can support their success as emerging musicians.

Keep an eye out for our Jazz Ambassadors at all indoor festival shows!

Kaiden Tautjo is a Filipino-Canadian vocalist and songwriter stepping into Winnipeg's vibrant music scene.

A second-year jazz student at the Desautels Faculty of Music, Kaiden is cultivating a unique sound drawing from jazz and folk music, presenting their artistry through gentle vocals, expressive storytelling, and a connection to their audience.

G’Annah Sanderson is a well-rounded artist, engaging in many genres including jazz, fusion, and musical theatre. Being the lead singer of the band, Alabaster, G’Annah sings a fusion of jazz, funk, and R&B.

Festivals such as Must Be the Fest, and Brandy’s Jazz Fest, have given her experience and helped her realize her passion for performing.

Having just finished her second year in Jazz Studies at the University of Manitoba, G’Annah is eager for what the future holds and is excited to perform with Alabaster during the Winnipeg Jazz Fest this year! 

Ivan Chernenko is a Ukrainian alto saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. Before relocating to Winnipeg in 2022, Ivan attended Chernihiv Music College. In 2023, he began his studies at the Desautels Faculty of Music at UofM under supervision of world-renowned saxophonist Jon Gordon. Alongside the UofM Jazz Orchestra, Ivan performed with Alex Samaras, Tara Davidson, Ernesto Cervini, Fabio Ragnelli, and Will Bonness.

Ivan is a winner of the 2020 Jazz Fiesta (Kharkiv, Ukraine) and Mystetski Barvy (Pryluky, Ukraine)" competitions. He is also the winner of the "025 L.M. Revutsky All-Ukrainian Competition for Young Composers.

Ivani sknown for his refined compositions that blend jazz and other musical influences while acknowledging the foundation and strength of his Ukrainian identity.

Aria Rempel is a bassist, songwriter and performer. They have an eclectic passion for music across many different genres including jazz, bluegrass, RnB, hip hop, folk/indie and their own original music.

They are a recipient of the 2025 Corus Radio Jazz Award, 2025 Brandon Jazz Festival Scholarship Award and the 2025 BSIMA Musicianship Award working with many groups and ensembles across Western Canada.

They are extremely grateful to attend the University of Manitoba for Jazz Bass Performance under the mentorship of world class educators and performers. Coming out of their first year, they found many opportunities including performing with large ensembles such as The Royal Canadian Air Force Band and Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra as well as featured small groups at venues including the Park Theatre, Metropolitan Entertainment Centre, Human Rights Museum and Desautels Concert Hall.

They also have the pleasure of being the Bassist on Esteban Seunarine’s upcoming album “The Expanding Whatever” and performing with him June 18th at The Little Brown Jug for the Winnipeg Jazz Festival.

Talia Handford (they/them) is a multidisciplinary artist born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They began piano lessons at the age of 5, which led to picking up the guitar playing mostly metal and rock, and then the trombone throughout middle and high school. They quickly developed a connection and voice in jazz, often playing lead trombone.

Talia currently studies jazz trombone at the Desautels Faculty of Music and is going into their second year. Talia has performed with ensembles such as the U of M Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Jon Challoner, the Conn-Selmer CentreStage Jazz Band under the direction of Christine Jensen, the Galloway/Cade Big Band, and other Manitoban invitational concert bands and classical honour bands.

Outside of studying jazz, Talia is a member of the pre-professional tap dance company Language of Rhythm, directed by Ella Steele, and aims to incorporate tap dance into future projects in music. They grew up dancing across many genres and now teach classes mainly in tap and contemporary.

Talia continues to foster a love for all the arts and looks forward to collaborating and connecting with many people in many art forms throughout their career. 

Jasper Brown is a bassist from Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Previously, she has performed as a tuba player and vocalist attending the International Music Camp for jazz voice as well as participating in various honour bands including the Manitoba Band Association’s senior honour band, the Louis-Riel School Division’s senior honour band, and the University of Manitoba high school invitational band.

Upon her high school graduation, she was one of two recipients of the Devin Fougère-Mitchell music scholarship. In July 2025, she attended multiple flamenco dance intensives in Spain, studying with highly renowned dancers in Madrid and Jerez.

Jasper is a lover of all arts but holds a deep passion for jazz and folk music in particular. She is currently enrolled to the University of Manitoba for jazz bass under the instruction of multiple world-class jazz performers and is beginning to collaborate with local businesses in Winnipeg for performance opportunities.

Mia Agren (she/her) is a vocalist born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

She has sung in choirs throughout her childhood and currently sings with Nuovoce Chamber Choir under the direction of Justin Odwak and Sarah Sommer, along with performing in Piper Pride Production shows for the last 3 years under the direction of Paula Olko.

Mia has just completed her 2nd year studying jazz voice at the Desautels Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba and looks forward to the rest of her degree and spreading her love of music through teaching after graduation.

Mia has performed in various ensembles including leading a jazz trio which performed at the UofM’s Women’s Gala and TEDx Fort Garry in 2025 and is looking forward to sharing more with audiences in the future. 

Josh Kolesar is an emerging jazz trumpet player from Brandon, Manitoba. Known for his versatility, Josh plays a variety of genres, including jazz, classical, rock, pop, and beyond. His musical journey began in grade 9 when he transitioned from alto saxophone to trumpet and quickly discovered a deep connection with the instrument. By grade 10, he was the lead trumpet player in his high school's auditioned senior jazz band, showcasing his rapid growth and commitment to his craft.

Over the years, Josh has had multiple performance opportunities across Manitoba and Canada, including works with the Conn-Selmer Centerstage Jazz Band in Toronto & Niagara Falls, the JazzWorks Canada “All Star Scholarship Band” in Montreal & Ottawa, the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra Senior Honour Jazz Band, the East Side Jazz Band, the Galloway Cade Big Band, the International Music Camp Brekke Big Band, and multiple other opportunities as a freelance musician.

Along the way, he’s been influenced and mentored by a diverse group of musicians, including Jonathan Challoner, Christine Jensen, Rachel Therrian, Kevin Turcotte, David Smith, Jae Sinnett, Jim Lewis, Brownman Ali, Devon Gillingham, Sean Irvine, and Meaghan Graham.

Currently, Josh is focused on continuing his journey as a music student and preparing for upcoming performances, all while continuing to explore new musical possibilities and opportunities.

Hnat Yaroshenko is Ukrainian - Canadian up and coming jazz bass player. He is currently a jazz studies student in Desautels Faculty of Music in U of M.

He is known for his versatility on both upright and electric basses. Hnat has performed with multiple local and internationally acclaimed artists like Robin Nolan, Jonathan Challoner, Rosemary Todaschuk, Tatyana Haraschuk, Jonathan Alexiuk and many others. Hnat also enjoys teaching bass, as he is bass teaching artist in SISTEMA Winnipeg - afterschool music program for youth.

Embracing jazz has not only structured his life but also brought him immense joy and a sense of purpose. Hnat values the friendships he has formed through jazz and looks forward to performing and sharing his experiences with others.

Samuel Murrell-Cole is a versatile musician specializing in the tenor saxophone, though he also plays clarinet, piano, guitar and bass. He has a deep passion for Jazz, as well as mixing other genres like funk, pop, gospel and Afro-Cuban. His energetic stage presence makes his music connect deeply with audiences in an enriching way. Samuel is pursuing a Bachelor of Jazz Studies at the Desautels Faculty of Music. Influenced by his parents’ eclectic taste in music from the 60’s and 70’s and a love for video game soundtracks, Samuel is passionate about composing and performing. His aspirations include becoming a renowned performer and bandleader, a music educator, and delving into digital music production to enhance his skills as an audio engineer and producer. He’s produced several albums, most notably his live record with the Samuel Murrell-Cole Sextet, live at the Park Theatre 2024, which is available on all platforms.