Musicare Inc. is a second generation Canadian family business specializing in band instrument repair and student rental programs.
They have supported the IJO longer than any other sponsor and we can't say enough good things about them. Although they provide service to many ensembles
and professional musicians in the Ottawa-region, their main focus is on helping young instrumentalists and that's something the IJO can readily identify with.
In addition to an extensive range of all the usual band instruments, they also have a lot of the more exotic instruments on hand. Dealing with Musicare is a
completely different experience to dealing with some of the other music equipment stores in Ottawa. You'll find all of their staff to be extremely knowledgeable
and capable and it's always a pleasure dealing with such friendly folks. Many thanks to Andrew and all the staff!
The IJO has a special relationship with Mount Calvary Lutheran Church. Our Artistic Director, Adrian Cho is a member of the church but more significantly,
Adrian's wife, Deborah Ann Taylor is the church's pastor as well as being a member of the IJO Advisory Board, and the IJO Secretary. Many members of the church are also
IJO volunteers. IJO musicians often perform at Mount Calvary church services including the jazz vespers, and the church provides the orchestra with rehearsal space.
Fleet are the premiere source for sound and lighting equipment in Ottawa. They are a family-owned company and have been in business
for almost 40 years. They sell, rent, and service a huge variety of equipment, will beat any price in Canada and their after-sales service is unsurpassed.
They even offer a 24 hour emergency service. More importantly, they know their products and are a pleasure to deal with.
We're delighted that Fleet's President Mike Feagan has offered Fleet's support and we look forward to working together with them.
We wouldn't be surprised if some people started to think that Tetra speakers are a well-kept secret amongst musicians and recording engineers. It's not that the
guys at Tetra or anybody that knows and loves their approach to audio has been trying to keep it all under wraps. It's just that to date, rather than spend their money on big
and costly advertising campaigns, Tetra have chosen instead to demonstrate their speakers to musicians and audio engineers who can readily appreciate what Tetra has to offer.
Internationally, names such as Wynton Marsalis, Dave Holland, Ron Carter, Benny Golson and
Herbie Hancock have raved about Tetra's unique speakers. Oddly enough while Tetra were speaking to folks abroad, many of us here in Ottawa did not even know
about them. However that's changing now that they are focusing more on the local market. Already, Ottawa musicians including guitarist Wayne Eagles,
violinist John Gomez, cellist Jan Jarvlepp and the IJO's bassist Adrian Cho have jumped on the bandwagon. Here is what
Adrian had to say about his experience with Tetra's speakers:
“Before even listening to Tetra's speakers, I was very excited to find out that Tetra is a small operation based right here in Ottawa.
It's always great to see a local small company making a go of it and even better when they can get the jump on the big guys. Tetra's Founder and President
Adrian Butts is as passionate about sound as I am. More importantly, his focus is not just on the sound but on the music.
That's probably why so many musicians and studio engineers have taken a liking to his speakers. The sound that these speakers produce is startling
accurate yet so musical. They bring out all the important nuances of the music - exactly the kinds of things that I seek to highlight when I am
interpreting a score and directing an orchestra.
The Tetra guys remarked that I had given their speakers a more thorough and intense workout than anyone else before. Of course it wasn't me - it
was the music. I threw everything I had at these speakers. Simple guitar and voice duos; piano, bass and drum trios; small jazz and chamber ensembles and
of course orchestral music running the gamut from Mahler and Shostakovich to Ellington and Kenton. The full dynamic range from a whisper to roar, the
articulation, the individual and blended timbres, the punch of the percussion - it was all there and gloriously reproduced. The imaging is superb and the
reproduction of the ambience gives you that “just like being there” experience. Beyond all that, these are speakers that are easy on the ears and
you can listen to them for hours on end without fatigue. This is no doubt one of the reasons why some studio engineers are using Tetra speakers to master
recordings. In addition, they sound great regardless of what equipment you are using them on. You don't need to spend a fortune on audio equipment to hear
how wonderful music can sound through these speakers.
What really blew me away was how consistent the sonic qualities are across the range of Tetra's speakers. As I listened to each
successively smaller pair of speakers, I became more and more amazed at the sound which was never harsh, yet retained amazing clarity and impressive bass
reproduction. At my initial listening session, Adrian Butts remarked that I was very guarded with my comments. I didn't say much but privately I was very impressed by what I heard.
However I did not want to say anything until I had really given these speakers an in-depth listen and compared them to other offerings on the market. It took me months
before I would commit to saying so but quite frankly Tetra's speakers and their approach to audio just blows me away. What's interesting is that I have never once looked
at or asked about the specifications of the speakers other than to confirm my curiosity about the diameters of the various drivers in each cabinet. Their musical reproduction
is so good that I don't care what the specifications are and I think that says something.”
Adrian Cho
Conductor and bassist
Artistic Director, Impressions in Jazz Orchestra
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Past Sponsors
Our relationship with the Crowne Plaza played an important part in launching our 2007-2008 season.
The Crowne truly is truly a great place to meet and a wonderful venue for functions of of all types and sizes.
Check out this City Journal article  describing this special relationship.
Gasthaus Switzerland Inn is a wonderful family-owned Bed & Breakfast in downtown Ottawa run by Sabina and Josef Sauter - a Swiss family with Swiss traditions.
The Sauter family are a long-time supporter of arts in Ottawa and often provide accommodation for Ottawa Chamber Music Festival artists.
Their thoroughly delightful B&B is warm and inviting and their service is second-to-none. They hosted Toronto bass-baritone Marcus Nance
for us and Marcus had only great things to say about their hospitality.
IJO Artistic Director Adrian Cho often frequents the Elgin Café in this elegant, classy hotel and has always
enjoyed the service, the food and the jazz that always seems to be playing. Although Adrian is based in Ottawa, he stayed at the hotel on the evening before the
Suite Freedom concert because he had scheduled an 8 AM dress rehearsal for the orchestra and didn't want to risk being delayed by a possible winter storm.
He was very impressed with the prompt, friendly service and the extensive facilities, not to mention the very decent rates. The Lord Elgin is a very strong supporter of
Ottawa arts and sponsors many NAC events, as well as the Ottawa International Jazz Festival.
Ottawa Pianos is a family business that was started by Dick Papalia in 1966. They have a long history of serving all of Ontario by providing the best
quality instruments available, with the highest quality customer service. A long time supporter of live music in Ottawa, they provide instruments and service for hundreds
of concerts each year.
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