Virginia MacDonald

Jazz Clarinetist

"Known for her lyrical and soulful clarinet playing, Virginia MacDonald has been described as a “powerful new voice in the Canadian scene” by Juno Award-winning bassist Mike Downes. Born and raised in Toronto, Virginia began playing clarinet at the age of seven. She has since established herself as a highly in-demand bandleader, sidewoman, and composer, and regularly performs across Canada, the United States, and Europe. Virginia has performed at jazz festivals globally including performances at the Detroit Jazz Festival, the Rochester Jazz Festival, the Jaipur Jazz & Blues Festival, the Toronto Jazz Festival, and the Montreal Jazz Festival, to name a few. Virginia has had the pleasure of performing abroad extensively in India, Germany, Austria, Spain, France, Italy, and the UK, and has performed at historic and prestigious venues including Koerner Hall, Ronnie Scott’s, Birdland, Smalls, and Le Duc des Lombards.

In 2020, Virginia was selected as the first-prize winner of the International Clarinetist Corona Competition; judges included Anat Cohen, Victor Goines, Ken Peplowski, and Doreen Ketchens. Some of Virginia’s other accolades include receiving a Stingray Rising Star Award at the Toronto Jazz Festival in 2019, and being selected as one of three finalists for the Toronto Arts Foundation’s Emerging Jazz Artist Award in 2021. In 2023, Virginia was selected to headline the International Clarinet Association 50th anniversary celebration at ClarinetFest in Denver, Colorado."

For Virginia's performances and upcoming events, visit: https://virginiamacdonald.ca/calendar/