We’ve announced this past year’s winners of the Fraser MacPherson Scholarships!
These scholarships are among many programs that we run at the VJO Society. The 2025 winners are:
Secondary students
Michael Dufrene (Drums)
Lauren Lee (Drums)
Zhanchang Zhang (Piano)
Post-secondary students
Ingrid Li (Alto Sax)
Nathan Lintott (Trombone)
Hugh Penner (Trumpet)
In February 2026 at Jazz at the Bolt, the annual festival produced by the Cellar Music Group, the VJO Society presents some of these scholarship winners across both festival days.
Each winner this year received an additional amount to their scholarship, made possible thanks to numerous donations made to the VJO Society in the name of Rod MacDonald. Rod was a beloved bassist and champion of Vancouver jazz who created “Jazz at the Pat” (2011–2022), presenting local musicians on Saturday afternoons to a welcoming audience. Rod’s care and dedication helped shape live jazz in our community.