The Vancouver International Jazz Festival is presented by Coastal Jazz.
The story of Coastal Jazz is the story of determination, passion, idealism, community, and of course, music. Founded in 1985 as the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society, we incorporated in 1986 as a community-based, not-for-profit, charitable arts organization located in Vancouver, British Columbia. From the very beginning, Coastal has worked diligently to ensure jazz remains an integral part of our city’s vibrant arts scene by fostering the creation and exchange of sounds and ideas between the local, national, and international music communities.
Their mission is to not only increase the appreciation of the music, but to strengthen the arts community by developing special projects, artistic exchanges, partnerships, educational initiatives, community programs, and collaborations that further the art form. Their vision encompasses a wide spectrum of jazz, blues, world, creative, and improvised music, including evolving forms of jazz and the technologies and media that influence jazz as an art form.
