Phil Nimmons composed more than 400 pieces in various genres, and for various instrumentations including film scores, music for radio and television, chamber music, music for large ensembles, concert band and symphony orchestras.
26 Facts About Phil Nimmons
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Phil Nimmons studied clarinet at the Juilliard School, and composition at the Royal Conservatory of Music.
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Phil Nimmons was involved in the development of the jazz performance program at the University of Toronto, and became its director emeritus in 1991.
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Phil Nimmons helped establish music education programs at University of Western Ontario, University of New Brunswick and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
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In 1974, Phil Nimmons received the first Juno Award given in the Juno Awards jazz category, for his album Atlantic Suite.
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Phil Nimmons was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1993, and was recipient of the Order of Ontario.
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Philip Rista Nimmons was born in Kamloops, British Columbia, on June 3,1923.
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Phil Nimmons was raised in Vancouver, and began a career in jazz and classical music in 1948.
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Phil Nimmons played as a jazz clarinetist in Vancouver during the late 1940s, appearing on CBC Radio with dance bands.
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Phil Nimmons graduated from the University of British Columbia, then studied clarinet at the Juilliard School in New York City, and composition at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
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Phil Nimmons established the "Phil Nimmons 'n' Nine" ensemble in 1953, with whom he had a weekly show on CBC Radio.
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Phil Nimmons performed with smaller bands after 1980, and released the album "Sands of Time" with a quartet in 2001.
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Phil Nimmons chose to remain in Canada for his career despite that many of Canadian colleagues went to the United States.
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Phil Nimmons was a founder of the Canadian League of Composers.
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Phil Nimmons was involved in the development of the jazz performance program at the University of Toronto, joining in 1973.
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Phil Nimmons became director emeritus of the University of Toronto degree program in jazz studies there in 1991.
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Phil Nimmons helped establish music education programs at University of Western Ontario, University of New Brunswick and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
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Phil Nimmons composed more than 400 pieces in various genres, and for various instrumentations including film scores, music for radio and television, chamber music, music for large ensembles, concert band and symphony orchestras.
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Phil Nimmons met his wife Noreen Liese Spencer at the Royal Conservatory of Music, and had three children.
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Phil Nimmons's wife was a concert pianist, who died in 2002 after 52 years of marriage.
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Phil Nimmons turned 100 on June 3,2023, and died at his home in Thornhill, Ontario, on April 5,2024.
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In 1974, Phil Nimmons received the first Juno Award given in the Juno Awards jazz category, for his album Atlantic Suite.
23.
Phil Nimmons was a recipient of the Order of Ontario.
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In 2001, Phil Nimmons was a recipient of the Jazz Education Hall of Fame which honours "individuals whose musical contributions and dedication to jazz education over the past 25 years have created new directions and curricular innovations for jazz education worldwide".
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In 2002, Phil Nimmons received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts, for his lifetime contribution to popular music.
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Phil Nimmons received the DownBeat Achievement Award for jazz education in 2006, and the Jazz Report and National Jazz Award as clarinettist of the year for 13 consecutive years, from 1995 to 2008.