Cat Toren

 

 





"Cat gently grabs notes by the hand and nourishes them into unavoidable emotions." Ambrose Akinmusire; Trumpet player/composer, New York City

            Catherine (Cat) Toren is a jazz pianist and improviser, and a composer that crosses many genres. Alongside grade 10 piano from the Royal Conservatory of Music Canada, she holds a Bachelor of Jazz Studies from Capilano College in Vancouver, British Columbia. She has been a valued participant at the renowned Banff Centre's Big Band Workshop, Jazz and Creative Music Workshop (funded by the Canada Council for the Arts) as well as two self-directed residencies at the Centre She studied composition with Dr. Lisa Miller and Marianne Trudel, piano with Sharon Minemoto, Ross Taggart, Lorne Kellett, Andy Milne, Ethan Iverson and Aaron Goldberg, and was a member of the A Band, Capilano College’s top ensemble where she performed with artists such as Jimmy Heath and Jon Faddis. Cat has recorded two full-length albums of mostly original works. Many of these compositions have been featured on various programs such as CBC radio’s Hot Air and North By Northwest (Canada), Taran’s Free Jazz Hour (France) and included in the television series Endgame on Showcase TV. Her latest CD Goodbye Farm laments her late Grandparents and the farm she spent her childhood on, featuring 7 original works and two arrangements of Mennonite Hymns.  Released on GreenIdeas Records in 2010, this album was recorded by some of the most prominent members of the Canadian jazz community. Cat was proud to be a performer at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver and Whistler, BC. At the 2010 Vancouver International Jazz Festival the Pugs and Crows, a quintet she is a member of, was awarded the prestigious Galaxy Rising Star Award, affording them the opportunity to record their second album set to be released before the year is out. Cat now splits her time between Vancouver and New York pursuing her music career.



LISTEN TO MP3S:

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  • Forwards Backwards


  • Four In One


  • Take Care of Yourself


    PERFORMANCE CALENDAR:
  • The Garage
    Saturday, February 4, 2012
    6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

    99 Seventh Ave South

    Cat Toren - Piano


  • The Garage
    Saturday, December 3, 2011
    6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

    99 Seventh Ave South

    Cat Toren - Piano

Click below for videos of Catherine


Song 1/b>





Alone Together/b>




I Remember You/b>