Corporate Partnership - WA Youth Jazz Orchestra

Azimuth Financial Advisers is proud to be the WA Youth Jazz Orchestra's Artist Partner.

Formed in 1983, WAYJO is acknowledged as the leading Youth Jazz Orchestra in Australia.

WAYJO has a significant list of internationally recognised artists with whom it has performed, including Ray Charles, Dionne Warwick, Frank Foster (former leader of the Count Basie Orchestra), Rolf Harris, James Morrison, Daryl Somers, David Campbell, Grace Knight, Todd McKenney, Kate Cebrano and Joe Chindamo.

Over the past 25 years WAYJO has provided scope for hundreds of outstanding Australian musicians to develop their talents and achieve national and international acclaim. Performers and composers such as Mace Francis, Troy Roberts, Libby Hammer, Matthew Jodrell and Callum G'Froerer are all WAYJO alumni and each is carving national and international reputations in Jazz musicianship.

Since 2008, Azimuth Financial Advisers has proudly partnered with WAYJO. Initially this partnership was established to support WAYJO in celebration of its 25th Anniversary concert series. Since then it has evolved into further support for WAYJO's visiting artist program which gives its young members, aged between 14 and 25, the opportunity to play with and be mentored by internationally recognised musicians and composers.

As the 2009 Artist Partner, Azimuth played an integral role in bringing US Funk legend Fred Wesley (pictured with Steve Hogden) to Perth for a series of workshops, rehearsals and performances. Fred visited Azimuth's offices for a luncheon, where he entertained our guests with stories of his life on the road as a professional musician with the likes of James Brown, George Clinton, Bootsy Collins and as part of the legendry Count Basie Orchestra.

In 2010, WAYJO's 2010 Guest Artists were three of Australia's hottest young Jazz musicians. Award-winning vocalist Kristin Berardi (Bells 2010 Best Australian Jazz Vocal Album) joined trumpet player and composer Ross Irwin (The Cat Empire and The Bamboos) and acclaimed saxophonist David Theak (Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra) for the world premiere of new works together with favourite jazz standards.

2011's program included Melbourne vocalist Michelle Nicolle and WAYJO Alumnus, Perth ex patriot and now New York resident Matthew Jodrell (trumpet).

In August 2011, the partnership was awarded the Australian Business Arts Foundation Award SME State award for WA, which recognises partnerships between businesses employing fewer than 200 people (globally) and arts and cultural organisations.