CHARLES AUSTIN

Charles Austin has played in a variety of professional musical situations in both B.C. and Alberta including the Tom Banks show on C.B.C., the ITV series of concerts produced in the 1970's and the 1980's. Through these productions he has accompanied singers such as, Mel Torme, Henry Mancini, Viki Carr, Connie Stevens, Carol Lawrence, Julious Larossa, Bob Magrath, Robert Goulet, Frank Gorshin, Rich Little, and Conway Twitty. In addition Charlie has worked in the 2nd City T.V. series produced in Edmonton working with John Candy, Katherine O’Hara, Rick Moranis, Andrea Martin and Eugene Levy. Jazz performances include dates with CBC Radio-Jazz Canadiana and Sam Noto.

He has worked with singer Trudy Desmond in concert and accompanied the the students of Jay Clayton and Sheila Jordan in a vocal-jazz workshop at the Banff Center For the Arts. Recently he has performed a George Shearing piece with the Pro Coro choir group.

He holds a MEd degree (jazz music emphasis) from the University of Victoria, a BMus degree from the University of British Columbia and an ARTC diploma from
the Royal Conservatory Of Music (Toronto).

Charles has taught at the MacEwan College’s music department in Edmonton for many years and through the college, has written a volume of 450 piano pieces in all keys and has recently published a 500 page work entitled: "An Approach to Jazz Piano" which is currently in use at the music department of Grant MacEwan College and is now sold across Canada.