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Andy Ballantyne

Andy Ballantyne is one of Canada's foremost saxophonists, composers and jazz educators.

About Me

Saxophonist Andy Ballantyne is recognized as one Canada’s most versatile jazz musicians. A fixture on the Toronto scene for over three decades, he maintains a busy freelance career ranging from big bands and small jazz groups to musicals and studio recordings. He is also a highly respected woodwind doubler, composer, arranger, and music educator. Ballantyne has shared the stage with many celebrated jazz artists including Maria Schneider, Vince Mendoza, Bill Mays, Sam Rivers, Carla Bley, and Dave Holland. He has also backed up a wide range of popular entertainers including Gladys Knight, The Temptations, Natalie Cole, Paul Anka, Donna Summer, and Johnny Mathis.

A proud product of music education in the public school system, Ballantyne started studies on the clarinet and tenor saxophone at Don Mills Junior High School. He went on to graduate from Humber College (1987) and the University of Toronto Jazz Performance program (2003). He also attend the Banff Summer Jazz Workshop in 1987, performing concerts with Anthony Davis and Kenny Wheeler. Ballantyne has performed with many of Canada’s leading big bands on both alto and tenor saxophones. Playing with Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass on their final live recording “One More Time” was a special highlight. He is a regular member of John MacLeod’s Rex Hotel Orchestra, winners of the 2011 Juno award for best traditional jazz recording. His playing is also featured on the award-winning big band soundtrack for the hugely popular video game Cuphead. Musical theatre credits include Toronto productions of The Producers, Aladdin, and An American in Paris. Ballantyne has also appeared with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, most recently with world-renowned concert pianist Lang Lang performing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. He holds the alto sax chair in the Toronto Saxophone Quartet, and has been a member of the Shaw Festival Orchestra for 7 seasons.

As a composer and arranger, Ballantyne’s large ensemble works are performed by many leading big bands in Canada and beyond. His original compositions for student and professional big bands are published by Clovertone Music. His arrangements for strings can be heard on Ranee Lee’s 2014 release “What’s Going On”. As a member of the arranging faculty at Humber College, he has created large ensemble arrangements for visiting artists Danilo Perez, Jack Dejohnette, and Pat Metheny.

Ballantyne has recorded two albums as a leader: “The Sum Of The Parts” (2007) featuring an 11-piece ensemble made up of some of Canada's finest jazz musicians, and “Play On Words” (2019), a tribute to the saxophone greats of the 40's, 50's and 60's with the world-class rhythm section of Terry Clarke, Neil Swainson, Rob Piltch and Adrean Farrugia.