We’ve announced this year’s winners of the Fraser MacPherson Scholarships!
These scholarships are among many programs that we run at the VJO Society. The 2026 winners are:
Zach Simpson
Alto saxophonist Zach Simpson and his quartet are influenced by artists such as Sullivan Forter, McCoy Tyner, Jeff Hamilton, Philly Joe Jones, Ray Brown, Christian McBride, Kenny Garrett, and Vincent Herring.
Lauren Lee
Drummer Lauren Lee has played in various local and national honour ensembles such as the Vancouver Youth Jazz Orchestra, BCMEA Honour Jazz Ensemble, and MusicFest Conn-Selmer Centerstage Jazz Band. She received the 2025 MusicFest Ludwig Ultimate Canadian Drummer of The Year Award as well as a scholarship to the Berklee Aspire Summer Program in 2026.
Zhanchang Zhang
Zhanchang Zhang is a piano player from Semiahmoo Secondary whose sound is inspired by historical players like Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson. He is classically trained with an diploma for piano performance and shifted to jazz during high school.
Nathan Lintott
Nathan Lintott is a trombonist currently living in Burnaby and is about to graduate from Capilano University’s Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies program. Nathan leads a 5-piece ensemble that presents a mix of originals and standards and can also be found playing bass in the Vancouver youth jazz scene.
In February 2026 at Jazz at the Bolt, the annual festival produced by the Cellar Music Group, the VJO Society presented 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.