Nathan Hiltz        

Nathan Hiltz was raised in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. His first musical experiences were in church choirs and piano lessons with the organist. At the age of twelve he began writing folk songs on a flat-top guitar. As a teenager in Halifax Nathan became involved in the high school jazz band and studied privately with local jazz legends Ross Anderson, Jerry Granelli, and Don Palmer. Nathan continued his studies in Toronto at Humber College where he received the Peter Harris Award for Guitarist of the Year and the Duke Ellington Award for Excellence. His studies now involve exploring the relationships between boxing, spirituality, and jazz music as played on the electric guitar.

PERFORMED WITH:

Bernie Senensky    Ryan Oliver    Brandi Disterheft    Bob Mclaren    Brenda Carol

Terry Clark    Phil Dwyer    Sly Juhas    Laura Hubert    Ken Fornetran   Don Thompson   

Alex Dean    Norm Villeneuve    Jenny Burke    Jim Heineman     Mike Murley    Joe Sorbara   

Tim Shia    Bob Brough    Adrian Farugia   Jake Wilkinson    Kira Callahan    Quinsin Nachoff   

Peter Van Huffel   Sophia Perlman  Pat Lebarbera   Alex Dean   Del Dako   Renee Rosnes         

JAZZ FESTIVALS:

Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival         Oakville Jazz Festival

Guelph Jazz Festival                          Port Hope Jazz Festival

Halifax Jazz Festival

Markham Jazz Festival

PERFORMANCES (highlights):

The Rex   The Montreal Bistro    Gate 403    The Opal Jazz Lounge    Liberty Street Café

Grossman’s Tavern    The Pilot    The Courthouse    Mezzrow’s    The Gladstone    Sassafraz

Zest    The Red Guitar    Dominion on Queen    Quigley’s    The Central    Whistler’s

The Orbit Room    Alleycatz    College Street Bar    Joe Mama’s    Hart House    Ten Feet Tall

The Trane Studio   The College Street Bar  

DISCOGRAPHY:

Del Dako Quintet ‘Untitled’ (Spring 2009)

Griffith/Hiltz Trio ‘Untitled’ (Spring 2009)

Lance Bennet ‘Waltz for Concetta’ (Fall 2008)

Carlo Berardinucci ‘She Made Me Do It’ (Fall 2008)

Nathan Hiltz Trio ‘Your Love is A Plane Crash’ (Winter 2007)

Lance Bennet ‘Dancing on the Patio’ (Summer 2007)

Brandi Disterheft ‘Brandi Disterheft’ (Spring 2007) *Juno Winner*

Jonathan Kay ‘The Peddlers of Bombast’, Standback Records/Independent (Fall 2006)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE:

Ring Music November 2006-Present

Kaos Music September 2004-2007

Dixon Hall Sept 2002-Present

Toronto District School Board 2005 Designed & administered guitar class pilot project

EDUCATION:

University Of Toronto : Master of Music 2008-present

Humber College : Bachelor of Music

Queen Elizabeth High School 1997-1999

APPRENTICESHIP:                                                                                                                                                                  

Reg Schwager                          Pat Coleman                            Don Palmer

Lorne Lofsky                            Ted Quinlan                             David Occhipinti

Jim Hall                                    Don Thompson                        Phil Dwyer

AWARDS:

Juno Award for “Traditional Jazz Album of the Year” as part of The Brandi Disterheft Group

Arthur Plettner Fellowship University of Toronto

Ontario Council for the Arts Recording Grant 2008

Peter Harris Memorial Award Guitarist of the Year, Humber College 2001

Duke Ellington Award for Excellence, Humber College 2003

COMPOSITIONS:

West Coast Love Affair Suite                 Your Love is a Plane Crash    

The Hustle                                            Break My Heart Why Don’t You

For Sonny Greenwich                            There Was A Time                

Vision                                                   Re-Rebirth

Nosodo                                                 Dedication to Matthew Rubba

All My Foolish Blood                               Sweet Sweet Science

Zen Cowboy                                         The Russian is a Comin’

Mambo Mambo                                      Come Back Here and Say That