Mia Gazley, Soprano and Alto Saxophone, received her undergraduate degree in Performance at the University of British Columbia, studying with Dr. Julia Nolan. Mia performed with the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, the Chilliwack Metropolitan Orchestra, the Vancouver Jazz Legacy Orchestra, amongst others. She was the Saxophone Coach and Assistant Director of the Greater Vancouver Youth Music Academy Symphonic Winds and is currently on the North American Saxophone Alliance subcommittee for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Accessibility.
Mia was a founder of the Azura Quartet as their baritone saxophonist. They won regional, provincial, and national chamber music competitions in 2017, and performed world premieres of many Canadian works.
Mia worked with Dr. Frederick Hemke, Dr. Preston Duncan, Dr. Steven Stusek, Dr. Susan Fancher, Dr. Kenneth Tse, Dr. Kyle Horch, Dr. Allison Balcetis, and Dr. James Houlik, amongst others. Her Masters in Saxophone Performance is from the University of Florida, studying with Dr. Jonathan Helton.
Mia is a Rousseau and JodyJazz Mouthpiece artist performing on Yamaha Custom saxophones; her research specialty is documentation of Japanese saxophonists and composers, viewable at the Japanese Saxophone Database.
Mo Miao, alto saxophone, completed his degree in saxophone performance studying with Dr. Julia Nolan at UBC. He has performed in masterclasses with Dr. Fred Hemke, Dr. Kenneth Tse, and Dr. Joseph Lulloff. Well versed in chamber music, Mo was a founding member of the Azura Quartet, which won first place in chamber music at the 2017 Federation of Canadian Music Festivals competition. He has performed with the Saxophilia Saxophone Quartet, playing alongside mentor Julia Nolan.
Active in the Vancouver jazz scene, Mo has been a mainstay in numerous professional large jazz ensembles, including the Vancouver Legacy Jazz Orchestra, West Coast Big Band, and the Jaelem Bhate Jazz Orchestra, playing alongside renowned musicians Steve Kaldestad, Tom Keenlyside, Chad Makela, and Brad Turner. Mo played on the recording session for the Jaelem Bhate Jazz Orchestra’s debut album “On the Edge”, which won the 2020 Julian Award for emerging Canadian jazz excellence.
Bryan Canuel, Tenor Saxophone, graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Music degree, majoring in Music History and Literature and has studied saxophone with Dr. Julia Nolan, Dr.David Branter and Colin MacDonald. Since 2005, Bryan has been playing alto and soprano saxophone with the Pacific Symphonic Wind Ensemble and was appointed Principal Saxophonist in 2017. He has been a member of Sax Noir since 2012. Outside of his musical endeavours, Bryan has been working in the IT industry for over 25 years.
Chuck Currie, baritone saxophone, is a clarinetist and saxophonist who has performed with the Vancouver Island Symphony, the Pacific Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the The Band of the 15th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, the Pacific Blackwood Bass Clarinet Collective, the Vancouver Saxophone Ensemble and is the proprietor of Sax Noir Studio. Chuck is a Chedeville, JodyJazz, Rousseau Mouthpiece, Legere, Backun Canada, Vandoren, Blashaus, Selmer and Yanagisawa artist-endorser and clinician performing on Backun Lumiere Clarinets, Selmer Bass Clarinets, and Yanagisawa Saxophones. He teaches at his own Sax Noir Studio, and conducts clinics and master classes throughout British Columbia. He is the coach of the Saxophone, Clarinet and Low Woodwind sections of the British Columbia Honour Wind Ensemble. Students have auditioned successfully for the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, the Canadian Wind Orchestra, the UBC School of Music , the National Youth Band of Canada, and the International Honors Wind Symphony at Lincoln Center, New York.