The Board and staff of the Guelph Jazz Festival want to thank Karen Ng, who is stepping down as Assistant Artistic and General Director after four years in the role. Karen was the GJF’s first AAGD, having been hired for the 2019 GJF season in the wake of the retirement of Julie Hastings, long-time Director of Operations, and the subsequent reorganisation of the staffing structure. Since then, Karen and Artistic and General Director Scott Thomson have jointly executed both curatorial and administrative tasks, guiding the Guelph Jazz Festival through the pandemic years with both imaginative programming and administrative acuity.
Throughout, Karen has been a vital part of the GJF’s successes, demonstrating a thorough knowledge of and enthusiasm for the field of creative improvised music; profound compassion and care for artists, fellow staff, volunteers, and other festival stakeholders; and a feeling of joy that invites everyone around her to feel some of the same. While Karen will undoubtedly be missed, the GJF Board and AGD are confident that they can mount a successful 30th Anniversary Festival, 14-17 September, with a renewed staffing structure that meets its needs.
The Guelph Jazz Festival wishes Karen Ng nothing but the best and the brightest as she pursues new musical projects, goals, and dreams. Thanks again to her!
