Parkdale United Church
parkdale performance
what is parkdale performance?
Our mission is to expand the use of our sanctuary for the benefit of the congregation and the wider community.
The goal of Parkdale Performance is to open the doors of our sanctuary for performance through word, song and music -- building a dynamic community one event at a time.
Our re-purposed modern performance space provides a large open stage, seating for up to 300 people, contemporary sound system and lighting, grand piano and Johannes organ. We aim to encourage its use through partnerships with groups and organizations, third party rentals, organized concerts, and as a practice space for musicians, choirs and theatre.
We feature Wednesday Night Jazz Night plus a great line-up of other concerts with well-known musicians -- solo artists, ensembles and groups.
Wednesday night jazz concerts
We are pleased to introduce our Parkdale Performance Wed Night Jazz events.
7:00 to 8:30 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm. Open seating.
Free Will Offering, suggested $20 cash per person.
february 25 -- Chris Tauchner Trio
Montreal native Chris Tauchner is a pianist, keyboardist, composer and educator who has been performing across North America for over twenty years. While his musical journey has provided the opportunity to play a wide array of styles, he has focused primarily on jazz, blues, funk, gospel, and electronic music.
march 11 -- Keith O'Rourke Quartet
Keith O'Rourke is a born and raised Albertan. After travelling the world and seven seas honing his craft, he returned home to Calgary in 2008. Blessed with the opportunity to regularly perform for many of Calgary's jazz fans, Keith has been able to make a name for himself and become a recognizable figure in the jazz community. For his own compositions, Keith draws inspiration from a diverse range of jazz musicians, keeping his writing fresh while still being rooted in the jazz tradition. When not performing, Keith spends a great deal of his time teaching private lessons and small group workshops. He enjoys passing on his knowledge and fostering a love of music to the next generation of players.
march 25 -- Chiang, Wielebnowski and Yates Trio (CWY)
Longstanding musical collaborators Augustine Yates, Jon Wielebnowski and Nate Chiang will present original compositions and some of their favourite standard repertoire. Their sound is rooted in the tradition of the great piano trios, and Augustine’s original compositions allow for more of a contemporary, modern aesthetic.
Augustine Yates shines as both a composer and performer. A Mount Royal University Conservatory faculty member and BMus graduate of Humber, his music values improvisation and focuses on interplay within the ensemble. His music emphasizes the dichotomy of spontaneity and control.
Jon Wielebnowski, also a BMus graduate from Humber, has established himself as a prominent and versatile contributor to the Calgary music community. He performs extensively throughout southern Alberta with a wide range of acclaimed ensembles, and has been a regular member of Theatre Calgary’s musical pit orchestras since 2023. He has recently appeared on Caity’s Gyorgy’s Juno-nominated album Caity Gyorgy with Strings.
Nate Chiang is a prominent freelance jazz drummer based in Calgary, whose current projects include Fearsssome, an original multi-disciplinary performance piece with Kaja Irwin of Decidedly Jazz Danceworks. He also appears on Caity’s Gyorgy’s Juno-nominated album Caity Gyorgy with Strings, and is a member of The David Lavoie Quartet. He performs extensively with some of Alberta’s most celebrated jazz musicians.
april 8
Aaron Shorr Trio plays Pat Metheny
Aaron Shorr started playing guitar as a young teenager, and developed an interest in jazz through his grandmother’s record collection. He studied at Humber College in Toronto, The University of Manitoba, and privately with international jazz icons like Jonathan Kreisberg, Miles Okazaki, and Bruce Forman. Aaron sits as musical director for Still Crazy: The Music of Paul Simon. In 2023 Aaron released his debut album “Omand’s Creek” (self released). Now living in Calgary, Alberta, he maintains a busy schedule performing and teaching.
​
For this concert, Aaron will be joined by Jeff Gammon, bass, and Jon McCaslin, drums. The entire set will feature music by jazz guitar legend, Pat Metheny.
april 22 -- Kate Melvina Trio
Kate Melvina is a singer/pianist/composer and the vocalist, writer, producer and keyboardist for the group Tendavillage. Following the release of their debut single “Ralph Wiggum,” Tendavillage has been receiving rave reviews, including one from Atwood Magazine which described it as "a song that exists on a plane of involuntary stank face."
​
Kate was raised in a family of musicians and was surrounded by jazz at an early age. As a child, she quickly became a proficient classical pianist, winning awards in competitions. In her teen years, she discovered her passion for old soul music and became completely encompassed by it. Her main idol was and will always be Stevie Wonder. For the past 10+ years Kate has established herself in the Calgary music scene as a regular singer at several venues.
